Indian Business Colleges dig deep
Recently I had the experience of running from college to college. Literally, yes, in the big bad world of the humongous Delhi! The alluring Business colleges. And this because my daughter worked hard and secured a rather handsome score in her CAT exam. Believe me, after the harrowing experience that I went through, I asked my daughter as to why did she score so high!!
Let me zero in to the basic issue. Most Management Colleges require the latest CAT score for admission. So, one has to appear in the exam. So far so good. But, the issue that burns though the pockets of the students is the filling of the forms. Again, two issue here. One is the high fee( Rs 1000-1500) of the forms and second is that each college has a last date for form collection and a last date for submission. If one does not collect or submit before their stated deadline, then kaput, finish. The student is not eligible. Even till here things are acceptable. And who can object to ones rights of last dates?
Well, the problem stems when you notice that almost ALL the colleges have last date for submission well before the CAT results are announced!! Why, pray, should this be?
Would it not be reasonable to presume that the last dates should be AFTER the CAT results? What do you think? Before or after?
I say AFTER. It stands to logic that the last dates should be only after the results. But then, there is the commercial angle. The colleges capitalize on the element of uncertainty. Yes. Uncertainty. The student is not sure of what score he/she will get. So, the child goes and fills as many forms!! Much more than he would do if the choice was to fill forms after the CAT results!
Wherever I called enquiring about forms, I was greeted with a combo of arrogance and a cold attitude. Probably suggesting that this fellow has the audacity to ask about forms at this of the year! The time when they are counting the moolah raked off the poor students!
Let us look at this whole issue from a macro angle. Each good college, I am told, gets around 10,000 forms. Each form costs around 1500. Each college thereby generates Rs 15000000!!!! Mind boggling??!! Now you understand the reason why this racket of forms to be filled in advance!!! Preposterous! And the Govt. of Man Mohan Singh stands and twiddles its fat thumbs! The old worn our thumbs of Arjun Singh do not creak and groan for they may be well oiled!! Let us go further. There were around 2.74 lac students who appeared in the CAT. Let us say that half of them applied in 10 colleges. This generates Rs 206250000. Look at the way the government is allowing the colleges to suck crores of money from the UNEMPLOYED YOUTH!!
In a nutshell, each student forks out over Rs 15,000 ONLY for forms( other expenses like coaching etc are already a drain on the poor parents). The student community is milked of Rs 206250000. And all this even before he has paid the college fee which runs in lacs!!!
And finally, the SAT/GMAT scored that ones achieves in the US are valid for admissions for a substantial period. No forms dates…not hassles…no money sucking. You get a good score, then you apply to whichever university suits you.
Hope the grand old men of the government can hear this. The AICTE and the AIMA should stop cuddling up with the businessmen and address the issue honestly and immediately. The student, armed with his CAT score, should be allowed to approach the college he/she desires. The forms collection and submission dates should be well after the CAT results are declared. Please spare the students of frustration,agony and a financial drain.
But perhaps, I am asking for too much?
