Mangaluru: Social activist and Federation of Indian Rationalist Association president Narendra Nayak alleged that the entity called ‘Smart Brain’, operating in Puttur, Sullia, Udupi, Murdeshwar and other parts of Karnataka, is a fraud.

The organisation has been cheating upon children and their parents in the name of mid-brain activation, looting lakhs of rupees, said Nayak.

Addressing reporters in Mangaluru on Saturday, he said that the ‘Smart Brain’ has been running a racket called as WBDP (Whole Brain Development Programme), which they claim to balance the left and rights sides of brain but is totally unscientific and non-implementable.

Nayak said that the organisation has around 100 branches in Karnataka. In Puttur, it is operating near the Sri Mahalingeshwara Temple. The children in the age group of 6 to 16 years are being made the targets. The self-acclaimed mid-brain activators have started the course, claiming that the concentration and the memory of the students will improve with the mid-brain activation. The children are made to do activities such as dance, eyeball exercise and listening to various sounds, he explained.

The children are also made to read texts blindfolded. The blindfolded reading is a simple trick which could be played by anyone. This way, the organisation is teaching the children to lie. An amount of Rs 10,000 was collected as fee for three months’ duration course and lakhs of rupees are looted, Nayak said, adding that the organisation is not registered and has no recognition whatsoever. The children do not get any certificates either.

The Federation of Indian Rationalist Association submitted a complaint to the deputy commissioner in this regard. The deputy commissioner had directed the DDPI to conduct an investigation, according to which, there is no connection between the improvement of child’s concentration and the activities done in the name of mid-brain activation. The report was submitted to the deputy commissioner on Friday, said Nayak.

Keshava Murthy, parent of a child who had attended the mid-brain activation classes, said that when he realised that the ‘Smart Brain’ was a fraud, he claimed a refund of the fees. He then started getting threat calls, he said and added that 150 students had enrolled in Puttur alone.

Narendra Nayak said that a jatha will be taken to Belagavi, where the head office of ‘Smart Brain’ is situated. Psychiatrist Dr Madhav Rao said that there is no role of mid-brain in improving the concentration, memory, grasping power or learning skills.

Neurologist Dr Raghavendra, Karnataka Rajya Vijyana Parishat former president Kadamajalu Subhash Rai and psychiatrist Dr Ganesh Prasad Mudraje were present during the press meet.