St. Martin’s Engineering College faces allegations of selling unauthorised textbooks
Hyderabad: St. Martin’s Engineering College in Kompally, Secunderabad, is facing serious allegations of violating academic norms. Complaints have been lodged with several authorities, including the Honorable Minister of Education, the Chief Minister, UGC, AICTE, and JNTUH, accusing the institution of forcing students to purchase textbooks authored by the college’s Group Director and its faculty. These textbooks reportedly cost between Rs. 12,000 and Rs. 14,000, a practice alleged to contravene established regulations.
Speaking with the Hyderabad Mail, Sai Teja, an anti-corruption and RTI activist, said he has filed five complaints highlighting the issue. Teja said, “On behalf of St. Martin’s Engineering College students, I have raised concerns about the mandatory purchase of textbooks authored by the college’s management and staff. This practice violates JNTUH, UGC, and AICTE norms and is carried out without providing official receipts. Students are pressured into paying in cash, leading to a lack of transparency and potential tax evasion.”
Sai Teja has submitted this complaint to the Ministry of Education, Government of India, the PMO Office, UGC, AICTE, JNTU, and the Chief Minister of Telangana.
Teja said he discovered these violations firsthand on July 23, 2024, at approximately 10:00 AM. He observed that the college was selling books not prescribed by JNTUH, UGC, or AICTE and that students were being harassed until they made the purchase. Furthermore, students who did not buy the books were reportedly denied access to lab records and facilities.
Brother If you know the Student Then Please connect will fight on this issue https://t.co/YW8ak5kJ8C
— SAI TEJA (@ActivistTeja) July 25, 2024
“The lack of receipts and the requirement to pay in cash indicates potential tax evasion and is a gross violation of financial regulations,” Teja added. “This situation not only exploits students financially but also undermines their academic experience.”
Teja has urged the relevant authorities to take stringent action against the college to prevent further exploitation. He has also requested that heavy penalties be imposed on the institution for this violation.
In response to similar concerns, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad (JNTUH) issued a circular in 2019 warning affiliated colleges against collecting additional fees beyond those prescribed by the university. JNTUH stated that such violations could lead to disciplinary action, including the potential cancellation of the college’s affiliation.
We will update the report as soon as we get more information.