Students stay away from rundown Siddharth college, which Ambedkar founded

MUMBAI: Old furniture stacked against a wall, where the preamble of the Indian Constitution is laid; broken roof with a green plastic sheet thrown over it; shattered ceramic tiles on the floor and walls; and dangerously exposed electric wires – this is the sight that greet students seeking admission at the Siddharth College of Commerce and Economics, Fort. The classrooms function without essential amenities like lights and fans.
Little wonder then that the college, founded by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in 1945 under the People’s Education Society (PES), has seen a significant decline in students’ admission this year, since its renovation was suspended due to a delay of disbursement of funds by the state government.
Siddharth college, a south Mumbai landmark, has been a beacon for disadvantaged students. In 2015, the state government committed to developing sites associated with Dr Ambedkar’s legacy. By 2020, ₹11.43 crore was allocated for the college’s renovation and another ₹1.99 crore for Siddharth College of Law (situated in the same building, on the third floor); mentioned in a government resolution (GR) at the time.
In 2021, a revised GR mandated that the funds be merged so that the public works department (PWD) could carry out renovation at one go. “The PWD completed external plastering, and internal work began, but for some reason, progress has been stalled for the past few months,” said U M Mhaske, principal of Siddharth College of Commerce and Economics. A senior college official put down the funds’ suspension to “conflict between various government departments”.
According to sources, while the top two floors of the college have been renovated, the ground, first and second floors remain unfinished. Expressing concern, a professor said: “The college’s poor physical state has resulted in a significant drop in student interest this year.”
More than 600 out of 840 seats are vacant for Class 11, and around 400 out of 840 seats remain unfilled for the first-year B.Com course. “Many parents and students initially showed interest in enrolling, but after visiting the college and seeing the incomplete work, decided to withdraw their applications,” Mhaske added.
Mhaske is also anxious that the present state of disrepair in the college may impact its application for National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) accreditation. The last accreditation was completed in 2004. “The NAAC peer team will visit our college on September 26, but I am concerned about the outcome due to the incomplete infrastructural work. I urge the government to allocate the necessary funds to complete the renovations,” he said.
The Republican Bahujan Vidyarthi Parishad (RBVP), a students’ organisation, has shot off a letter, underlining the present state of affairs, to chief minister Eknath Shinde and has threatened state-wide protests if the matter remains unaddressed. The letter, signed by RBVP city vice president Dharmraj Bramhane, also highlights the enhanced costs due to delays, contractors walking out of the project and the risks posed to students. Omprakash Bakoria, commissioner of social justice, acknowledged problem and told HT: “We have received a proposal for additional expenses from the institute, and we have forwarded it for approval to the Mantralaya.”