Bhubaneswar: In a bid to lure students seeking admission into engineering courses through Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE), a fake advertisement in a newspaper has stoked concerns among colleges and students. The OJEE authorities have filed a written complaint with Airfield Police in Bhubaneswar in this regard.
According to reports, an advertisement mentioning OJEE- 2019 was published in a newspaper on June 21. The advertisement which looked similar to an OJEE advertisement read, "Candidates those who are interested to take admission under OJEE 2019 in B.Tech or are facing any problems are requested to contact OJEE helpline." The advertiser had also provided two phone numbers, mentioning them as OJEE helpline numbers.
However, the OJEE authorities have clarified that no such advertisement was published by them.
Odisha Private Engineering College Association (OPECA) has also alerted the secretary of Skill Development & Technical Education department regarding the fake and misleading advertisement.
"No such advertisement was published by OJEE and the phone numbers, which are mentioned in the advertisement, are fake. A complaint has also been filed," said Sudeep Kumar Chand, OJEE chairman.
The OJEE chairman also urged the students to follow OJEE's official website for important dates and announcements.
OPECA secretary Binod Dash said "No one will dare to do such things if strict action is taken against the culprits. The action is only limited to filing an FIR."
This issue has raised concern among the students seeking admissions. "Such advertisements are published by some middlemen. I urge the government to take action again the miscreants," said Anant Narayan Jena, a student.
"Whenever I called the number or sent a mail, they asked me to come to their college saying a seat has been reserved for me. Today I came to know that the advertisement was fake. I appeal the OJEE authorities and the government to take strict actions against those who are behind such fake advertisements," said Paban Swain, another student.