... and these colleges are affiliated to the Bihar School Examination Board. M I Khan reports from Patna.
Ever since the Bihar School Examination Board merit scandal broke out, a Pandora's Box with problems afflicting the state's education sector seems to have been thrown open.
The latest news related to the controversy is that some colleges in the state are being run from ordinary garages comprising three to four rooms.
And all of them are affiliated to the Bihar School Examination Board, allegedly with the blessings of former board chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh who is now cooling his heels behind the bar along with his wife and former Janata Dal-United MLA Usha Sinha.
This revelation was made by the new BSEB chairman, Anand Kishore after an inspection that had been ordered last month following several complaints regarding the lack of infrastructure.
"So far, we have inspected 158 colleges out of the 213 in operation. Some of them have been found violating affiliation norms," Kishore said.
"The investigation report on some colleges affiliated in the last two years were shocking, as they lacked basic infrastructure."
According to board officials, claims about the infrastructure, student enrollment and faculty strength in these colleges were only on paper, and far from truth.
For instance, a higher secondary college was found running from a garage-like room. Some colleges that claimed to have 20 classrooms on paper had, in fact, just three or four rooms.
Kishore said that board will take action against such colleges and against those who recommended affiliation for them.
According to an education department officer, unaided private colleges mushrooming across the state are experts in ensuring high scores for their students.
Most private colleges are managed by powerful leaders from different political parties, the officer said, adding that many times the same college produced state toppers in all subjects.
