Pune, Nov. 13 -- After years of unpaid salaries, mounting retirement dues, and repeated warnings from the government and courts, the Directorate of Higher Education (DHE) on Thursday took over the management of seven colleges run by the Sinhgad Technical Education Society (STES) for three years, citing neglect of institutional responsibilities and the need to protect students' academic interests. The action, taken under Section 3(1) of Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Management) Act, 1976, comes two days after Bombay High Court directed Directorate of Higher Education and Directorate of Technical Education to initiate action against defaulting educational institutions in accordance with the law. The November 12 order was issued by higher education director Shailendra Deolankar. The Pune divisional joint director of higher education has been appointed administrator to oversee the seven colleges' functioning on behalf of the directorate under Sections 3 and 4 of the Act, the order stated. HT has reviewed the order. "Despite repeated directions from the department and the Bombay High Court, the STES management failed to clear employees' pending salaries and retirement benefits. Today's decision to take over the management of the seven colleges has been taken in the larger public interest, particularly to protect students' academic interests," Deolankar said. The seven colleges covered by the order are Sinhgad College of Law, Ambegaon; Shrimati Kashibai Navale College of Education, Lonavla; Sinhgad College of Arts and Commerce, Narhe; Nivrutti Babaji Navale College of Commerce and Science, Lonavla; Sinhgad College of Commerce, Kondhwa; Shrimati Kashibai Navale College of Commerce, Erandwane; and Sinhgad College of Science, Ambegaon. According to the order, teaching and non-teaching employees of these institutions were facing irregular salary payments. The department also took note that over 13 employees died by suicide amid the crisis. The takeover follows a series of court directions and departmental interventions that failed to secure payment of the outstanding dues. The Bombay High Court had passed orders on July 17, 2025, and August 5, 2026, directing the society to clear the dues of petitioning employees. Pune divisional joint director subsequently issued several reminders between September 2025 and April 2026. Following hearings involving representatives of the society and the petitioning employees on September 10 and 11, 2026, the divisional joint director, through communications dated September 30 and November 4, directed the management to calculate and clear the outstanding salaries. The society did not comply. The directorate issued a show-cause notice to STES on November 5, asking why the management of the seven colleges should not be taken over under Section 3(1) of the Act. The management did not submit a response. The department also referred to high court's November 3 order in contempt proceedings and observations made during the November 4 hearing....