and was placed fourth in the general category list, but couldn’t get admission. An RTI query later revealed that 22 seats in the reserved category had gone unfilled.

However, the court did not uphold Goel’s claim to admission, but penalised the IIM for wasting seats.

“Such a premiere institute is expected to act fairly and transparently and justify the funds allocated to it by the government. The approach of IIM Shillong is whimsical and capricious to say the least,” the court chastised.

The institute had been given a time limit of four weeks to deposit the fined amount in the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

 

The Delhi High Court, on the 20th of September had condemned IIM Shillong’s “unsavoury and unpalatable” decision to leave 22 seats of its post – graduate programme 2011 – 13 vacant. The Court had also slapped a `1 lakh fine on the institute.

Further berating the institute, Justice Gambir said, “In the time of cut – throat competition, every seat can make or mar the life of a student. The amount of time and effort that goes into preparing and finally qualify in CAT goes down the drain due to the highhandedness of the institutes in wasting seats despite having world class infrastructure and top – notch faculty. This court severely condemns the unsavoury and unpalatable practice of IIM Shillong.”

 

Incidentally, another prestigious institute of the North East region was also recently the centre of negative news. The Assam University at Silchar was accorded the 41st position among Indian universities by a national magazine recently. However, it has been alleged that the Registrar of the University, without the knowledge of the Vice Chancellor of the University had awarded construction works to a Guwahati based organisation under favourable terms and conditions.

As per Central Government guidelines, price escalation can be paid for a work whose completion period is 18 months or more. In this instance, the completion period was 6 months, yet, price escalation clause was given as was water connection.

This matter has irritated the existing local contractors who say that there has been a discriminatory treatment meted to them, consequent to which, the Member of Parliament from Silchar Mr. Kabindra Purkayastha intervened in the matter by visiting the University along with the contractors to sort out the matter.

Unconfirmed sources say that the Registrar who is the architect of all the chaos has resigned from his post at Assam University.