Pune: In a major development in the Sinhgad Technical Education Society case, the Maharashtra Government has taken over the management of seven colleges run by the society in Pune and appointed an administrator for three years, citing prolonged non-payment of salaries and retirement benefits to employees, alleged mismanagement and the impact on students’ academic interests.
The order was issued on Thursday by Dr Shail Deolankar, Director of Higher Education, Maharashtra State, under Section 3(1) of the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Management) Act, 1976. The takeover will remain in force for three years from the date of issuance of the order.
The Divisional Joint Director of Higher Education, Pune Division, has been authorised to function as the administrator on behalf of the Directorate of Higher Education and oversee the administrative functioning of the seven institutions.
The government intervention follows a series of directions issued by the Bombay High Court in petitions and contempt proceedings concerning unpaid salaries and retirement benefits of teaching and non-teaching employees. In its November 10 order, the High Court had directed the Directorate of Higher Education and the Directorate of Technical Education to take appropriate action in accordance with the law against other defaulting institutions for which orders were yet to be passed.
According to the government order, the Higher Education Department had repeatedly directed the society to comply with court orders and clear pending salary dues. The Regional Joint Director of Higher Education had issued several communications between September 2025 and April 2026, asking the management to implement the court’s directions.
Hearings involving representatives of the society and the petitioning employees were also conducted on September 10 and 11, 2026. Subsequently, directions were issued on September 30 and November 4 to calculate the outstanding salaries and release the pending payments. However, the management failed to comply with these directions, the order stated.
The government also noted that teaching and non-teaching employees had been deprived of regular salaries and arrears under the Sixth and Seventh Pay Commissions for several years. The prolonged financial distress had severely affected employees, with the order recording that more than 13 employees had died by suicide amid the crisis.
The Bombay High Court had taken serious note of these deaths in its November 3 order and expressed displeasure over the society’s functioning and delays in salary payments during the November 4 hearing.
The Directorate had also issued a show-cause notice to the society on November 5, seeking an explanation as to why the management of the seven colleges should not be taken over under the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Management) Act, 1976. The notice cited the alleged neglect of prescribed academic responsibilities and the financial difficulties faced by employees, which were also affecting students’ educational interests. However, the management did not submit any response, according to the government order.
The takeover also comes against the backdrop of the Bombay High Court’s November 10 directions in the wider case involving the Sinhgad Technical Education Society and its 44 educational institutions. The court ordered investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax Department into the society’s financial affairs and those of its trustees. It also directed the freezing of bank accounts and investments and imposed restrictions on the transfer or disposal of movable and immovable properties.
The proceedings concern outstanding employee dues exceeding ₹400 crore. The High Court had taken exception to the society’s failure to honour its assurance to release ₹60.65 crore towards employees’ pending dues before Diwali.
The November 12 government order, however, specifically covers seven permanently unaided colleges under the Higher Education Directorate and should not be confused with a takeover of all 44 institutions.
7 Sinhgad Colleges taken over by the government are:
1. Sinhgad College of Law, Ambegaon, Pune
2. Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Education, Kusgaon, Lonavala
3. Sinhgad College of Arts and Commerce, Narhe, Pune
4. Nivrutti Babaji Navale College of Commerce and Science, Kusgaon, Lonavala
5. Sinhgad College of Commerce, Kondhwa, Pune
6. Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Commerce, Erandwane, Pune
7. Sinhgad College of Science, Ambegaon (Budruk), Pune
