The HP Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission asked National Skill Development Corporation to cancel affiliation and blacklist institute.
Shimla: The HP Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission has directed Frankfinn Institute to close down its both Airhostess Training institutions at Shimla and Hamirpur before 20th December 2017.
Regulatory commission, on the complaint of Kanwar Bharat Singh, found that Frankfinn has no permission from the competent authority to run institutes in the state of Himachal Pradesh.
KK Katoch, Chairman, HP Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission, found that the Frankfinn has adopted unfair trade practices by changing hefty fees from the students and directed to apprise the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and asked it to cancel the affiliation of the Frankfinn and also blacklisted it for imparting any training programme under NSDC in future.
Commission directed the Frankfinn to compliance of order by 20th December 2017 and falling which directed district administration to shut down the unauthorized and illegal running institute in Shimla and Hamirpur. While the Frankfinn has sought three months’ time to compliance the order.
Earlier, on the complaint of Kanwar Bharat Singh, the Regulatory Commission had asked Frankfinn to furnish basic information with regard to running of the Institutes’ in Himachal Pradesh. Frankfinn in its information submitted on 12.07,2017 apprised the Commission that Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training Centre is a unit of Frankfinn Aviation Services Private Limited, a registered Company incorporated under CIN U 74992 DL 1993 PT CO51813, and being run in the state from past 14 years.
Frankfinn submitted in its report to the Commission that its institutes were running diploma courses, and that training curriculum constitutes various modules pertaining to Personality Development, Communication Skills, English Language, Grooming, Customer Care etc. including Computer Reservation System for Hotel and Travel Industries. And was charging fee of 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh for its courses from students, and claiming of providing high quality training to its students. Courses were
- FDAHTM (Frankfinn Diploma in Aviation, Hospitality and Travel Management)
- FDHTCS (Frankfinn Diploma in Hospitality, Travel and Customer Services)
- FPGDAHS (Frankfinn Post Graduate Diploma in Aviation and Hospitality Services)
- FPGDAGS (Frankfinn Post Graduate Diploma in Airport Ground Services)
Not Recognized with UGC or any equivalent authority
The Frankfinn had also submitted that its training centres aren’t recognized from UGC or any equivalent authority whatsoever, and claimed that its centers in the State of Himachal Pradesh were outside the purview of definition of “Private Educational Institutions” as defined in Section 2 (c) of the Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions (Regulatory Commission) Act, 2010. Frankfinn pleaded
“The Training Centre of Frankfinn is not an Institute providing or dealing in courses/ training in professional, Technical, Management, law, Engineering, Medicine, Pharmacy, Para medical Institutions or Universities, Deemed Universities, Centre of Excellence or any other educational institutions of higher learning. The courses conducted through training Centre ate not academic in nature. The training courses are for a period of 12 months and are part time course of 2 hours for 3 to 5 days in a week, which means the student5 can undertake training in Frankfinn training Centre alongwith their normal graduation/ post-graduation courses.”
The Diploma /Certificates conferred on students is only an acknowledgement of successful (completion of course by the students as per internal assessment and procedures adopted by the Frankfinn training centres for this purpose, the Frankfinn further pleaded with the Regulatory Commission.
Frankfinn also submitted that the training Centers were also not governed by the State or the Central Government, either relating to education or technical education for carrying out such training programmes in its centers.
Affiliated with National Skill Development Corporation
Frankfinn has also summited to the Regulatory Commission of its affiliation with the National Skill Development Corporation and submitted copies of the affiliation of both institute with Regulatory Commission.
Frankfinn submitted that “the Training Centre of Franklins is primarily engaged in imparting SOFT SKILL related trainings to its students duly acknowledged by Ministry of Skill and Development. The Company is an “Approved Training Partner “of “National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) “. Accordingly the Company is following guidelines issued by NSDC from time to time to company with regard to its training and delivery.”
However, the Regulatory Commission found Frankfinn for misusing the affiliation of NSDC and even found that the Frankfinn has adopted unfair trade practices by changing hefty fees from the students and directed to apprise the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). The Regulatory Commission also asked NSDC to cancel the affiliation of the Frankfinn and also blacklist it for imparting any training programme under NSDC in future.
Detail Order of the HP Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission. Order Copy of Regulatory Commission actions against Frankfinn
HP Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission
The HP Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission has been established by the Govt. of Himachal Pradesh to keep vigil on the working of private College, institutes and Universities in the state. The Commission aimed for ensuring appropriate standards of admission, teaching examination, research and protection of interest of students in the Private Educational Institutions and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
The Commission has in the past also closed down private institutions viz. Swagat Education Hamirpur, Paradise Institute of Fashion Designing, Vector Education Society Palampur, NFCI Education Private Limited Solan, Kangra Heights Institute of Fashion and Technology Palampur, Amass Education Hamirpur-Dharamshala-Mandi and Kangra, in the state for their unscrupulous business operation.
The Commission had also levied hefty fine on one of Private University in the state for or irregularities in admissions and flouting the norms regarding faculty, laboratories, libraries, equipment and other infrastructure.
The Commission has been redressing the grievances of students through grievance redressal mechanism, and on its intervention forced Private Universities and Institutes to refund Rs. 99,51,235 on account of admission fees, security, release of salaries to teaching staff. 17 fake institutions of higher education have been ordered to be closed down in the state saving future of students who were trapped in name of degree certificates in private higher education.
