Kerala High Court today directed the Director General of Shipping and the state police chief to coordinate and conduct an inquiry into “unrecognised” marine technical courses being conducted in the state.
The direction was issued by a division bench comprising Justice C N Ramachandran Nair and Justice B P Ray while dismissing a petition by an institution challenging police direction to close down its operations allegedly conducted without approval from DGS.
The bench, which had earlier directed the DGS and the state police chief to submit a report on the status of institutes offering marines courses, said certain institutes promising employment in ships were functioning without approval of any university and clearance from DGS and appropriate action should be taken to close down them.
No advertisements should be made by any institutions in relation to employment in ships. The advertisements were misleading and such illegal institutions were bound to repay the amount collected from the students for admission to marine diploma and fitter and other courses which need DGS approval, the bench held.
DGS and Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) can make arrangements for completion of course study for students admitted in such unauthorised institutions, it said.