The panel, set up by a GR dated July 22, was formed following a Bombay High Court order directing the government to establish a committee of higher officers who could visit coaching classes and verify whether any teachers were involved. But forget visits, of late, the panel has been relying solely on college authorities and managements to get information on teachers working in coaching classes and also for any kind of follow-up action, complain educationists.

But it stopped there. While Pardesi is emphatic that the committee conducted several surprise visits and that ``the work will go on'', there has been no action, say principals. In fact, as a principalsays, ``The committee members actually used to call us up and tell us they are coming on a visit. `Enterprising' teachers will get to know of it... there should be surprise raids instead.''

Moreover, after the initial spurt of action, the committee has been more or less laid the onus of nabbing defaulting teachers on the principals and managements. ``The principals should inform us if there is something wrong,'' says Pardesi.

Not only that, by a government circular, principals were asked to collect affidavits from teachers saying that they were not party to any coaching classes. If a teacher was suspected of running coaching classes, they were asked to give an undertaking that henceforth they would not do so. ``But,'' says Bhagvanji Raiyani, president of FFFIE, which had filed the petition in the HC for a ban on coaching classes, ``there has been no follow-up action, with the result that many of those teachers who signed the affidavit are now back in the coaching classes.''

At St Xavier's College atDhobi Talao, Principal Father Joseph Dias is facing another problem. ``The circular is addressed to the registrar of the universities and not principals. Teachers' union members pointed out to me that I did not have the authority to implement it,'' he says. In any case, a signed affidavit is hardly the solution to the problem, feel educationists.

Besides, principals are not too happy with their new-found responsibility of keeping a check on their teachers. ``My concern is with how a teacher works in the college. Outside the campus, how can I keep a tab on anyone's activities,'' asks M K Desai, principal of N M College, Vile Parle. Also, owing to pressures from teachers' unions, there is a limit to the extent to which principals can help, says another principal. ``In fact, there are principals who run coaching classes themselves, what about them?'' asks another.

The committee can easily find out about defaulting teachers by enlisting the students' support, says Desai, which it hasn't done so far. The factthat the panel has just three members -- all of whom hold senior positions in the government and hence have other work concerns -- is one of the reasons for it becoming ``defunct'', says Raiyani. The forum had written to Education Secretary Ramesh Chandra Kanade, asking that the committee be expanded to include junior officers who can monitor teachers' activities. Also, the income-tax and police departments should be involved, say educationists.

While Pardesi brushes off all grievances by saying that ``we don't receive any complaints now'' -- to explain the absence of any raids -- the FFFIE says that it submitted a list of around 400 teachers in Mumbai suspected to be working in any coaching classes. ``What happened to the list?'' Raiyani wonders. As far as the claim that complaints have stopped pouring in, the forum says that the failure of the government to take any action is the reason for people losing interest. ``If no one is caught, no one punished, why should people bother?'' asks Raiyani.

Clearly,Minister of State for Education Anil Deshmukh has no answers; his excuse being the fact that he has been away in Nagpur for the past one month for the winter session, and hence ``I have not been able to review the situation''.

The minister, who himself conducted a public raid on a coaching class, shrugs off allegations that the panel is not doing its work. ``The committee members are working,'' he says, but struggles to list out their achievements. While the minister is quick to deny that the committee is relying mostly on principals, he adds, ``The panel should have obtained the help of students.''

The minister says that he is planning to include a vigilance squad in the fight against the teacher-coaching classes nexus. The idea will be discussed at a meeting to be held with panel members soon, he adds. ``I also sent a list of teachers working in coaching classes to the income-tax department,'' he says. What happened then? His standard explanation follows: ``I was away in Nagpur, so I couldn't follow itup.''