Bengaluru: Fees paid, no diplomas, Raffles varsity ruffles up students' future

Bengaluru: Some 46 city students joined these courses with an assurance that they would be offered world class education with exposure to design technology in Singapore.

But three years down the line, all 46 students who had joined the Raffles Millennium International, Koramangala, are in a panic as the college has shut shop overnight and the college administrators are on the run.

The students, who have paid a hefty Rs 21 lakh for the course, have not been issued certificates, while the faculty members too have not been given their salaries.

The students have not only lost three years, but also had their dreams of pursuing a master's degree in design technology, smashed. When launched, Raffles was a joint venture between education service provider Educomp and Raffles Singapore.

Ms Nafees  Fazal, a former minister, whose grandson is one of the victims, told Deccan Chronicle that she has raised the issue with concerned authorities.

"The dispute is between two companies involved in offering education. These students were told about world class education, including access to a quality design college in Singapore," she said.

Ms Fazal has approached state Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy and India's deputy head of mission, in Singapore, Pramita Tripathi. She said, "Singapore has always given top priority to its diplomatic ties with the Indian government. I hope that there will be an early solution."

• Raffles Millennium International is a joint venture of Educomp and Raffles Singapore.
• It was offering 6 courses in fashion designing including product design, fashion management etc.
• 46 students now allege that the institute has not issued them certificate. As a result they cannot apply for postgraduate programmes.