सव भव तु सिखनः ु Annual Report 2022-23 was taking fees from them but not paying the staff salaries for the last six months, due to which the teachers are not providing online classes. They all approached the Inspector in Charge of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology several mes. He promised to take necessary ac on but has not acted upon his words yet. They have also approached the District Magistrate, Hooghly, but did not get any frui ul solu on from there also. They also approached the Vice Chancellor of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology over phone. He promised to take ac on but did not act upon it. Adding to this ordeal they sent a threatening no ce to submit their fees, else they will be barred to sit for examina ons. A er registra on of complaint, reports were called from the concerned authori es. Pursuant to the same, Superintendent of Police, Hooghly, vide his le er dated 27 January 2021 forwarded the report of Dy. S.P. (Crime), Hooghly Rural District. It was stated in the report that during enquiry, it was disclosed that there was misunderstanding between management and facul es for the last eight months, which reached the peak during pandemic situa on. At that me, facul es faced problems in ge ng their salaries from the ins tu on. The problem was resolved and they were paid the salaries. In pursuance of the same, the Commission did not receive comments from the complainants. There was nothing to be interfered in by the Commission. Hence, the report is taken on record and the case is closed. 3.) Relaxa on of Minimum Marks Criteria by Ministry Resolves Grievance of In-Service Teachers, Ensuring Job Security Under RTE Act (Case No: 1576/90/0/2020) The Commission received an in ma on on 25 August 2020, alleging a change in the criteria for the issuance of Degree Cum Marks Cer ficates (DMC) by the Na onal Ins tute of Open Schooling (NIOS) post comple on of the specified teacher training programme. The change adversely affected the complainants and other teachers, poten ally leading to job loss due to the Right to Educaon Act provisions debarring untrained teachers. In response to the Commission's direc ons, reports were submi ed by the concerned authori es. NIOS stated that the minimum eligibility criteria were prescribed by the Na onal Council for Teacher Educa on (NCTE) and provided relaxa on for provisional admission subject to 62 acquiring the required marks before comple ng the D.El.Ed programme. The issue of relaxing the criteria for graduate/post-graduate teachers was taken up with the Ministry of Educa on. The complainant contended that the eligibility criteria were different when they enrolled in the D.El.Ed programme in 2017. NIOS had introduced the diploma without specifying the 50% marks requirement in Class XII for graduate/ post- graduate teachers. The Commission directed the authori es to clarify the contradic on in the eligibility criteria. The Ministry of Educa on, a er reviewing the ma er, decided to relax the minimum marks criteria for in-service elementary teachers, who completed the D.El.Ed programme within the melines. NIOS was directed to amend its recogni on order accordingly. The Commission commended the Ministry's proac ve steps in striking a balance between the statutory provisions of the RTE Act and the right to livelihood and life. The relaxa on provided by the Ministry resolved the issue of around two lakh in-service teachers facing job loss. The Commission appreciates the efforts taken by the Ministry and NCTE in addressing the grievance, and further interven on is deemed unnecessary. The ma er was closed on 12 August 2022. 4.) Commission's Response to IMS Engineering College, Dasna, Ghaziabad, Conduc ng Two Years of Online Classes and Allega ons of Full Fee Collec on. (Case No: 28810/24/31/2021) The Commission received a complaint on 15 August 2021, in which it was alleged that IMS Engineering College, located in Dasna, Ghaziabad, U ar Pradesh, had been conduc ng classes exclusively in an online mode for the preceding two years. The complainant argued that this online learning format had detrimentally affected the students' ability to study effec vely. Adding to the complaint, it was asserted that the college was collec ng the full amount of tui on fees as well as hostel fees, which, according to the complainant, should not have been charged. The complainant's plea was centered on the no on that the ongoing financial strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had significantly impacted the economic well- being of many families. In light of this, the complainant sought a par al refund of the fees paid. Chapter 7 - Thematic Areas