Pune: There is a possibility that the data of around a lakh of students enrolled through MHTCET might have been leaked from the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), and procured by private companies to fill the vacant seats in engineering colleges.
Text messages claiming the same have been found circulating stating, “Call for MHTCET data”, thus raising questions on the transparency of the operations of DTE.
As the engineering colleges in the state are suffering because of a large number of seats remaining vacant every year, the institutes are trying their best to attract more students by offering them several allowances and facilities, be it scholarships, placements opportunities or other infrastructural facilities. Taking advantage, companies that wish to make a business out of the situation are said to have been selling students’ personal data to the institutes. The engineering colleges then use the said data to contact the students through messages and social media, in order to let them know about their respective colleges and lure them.
Speaking on the issue, Dr Chandrashekhar Oak, Director, DTE said, “It’s difficult to tell whether or not the data has been leaked from DTE or not, however, we have taken up the matter and will look into it.”
