In the name of EDUCATION!!!. Review on IIM, Ahmedabad

The increase in fees of IIMs was long overdue – after all, those who pass out of their portals aspire to bag salaries that can compete with the best in the world. Hence, large tuition fees should not pose problems to them, especially when banks are there to invite the lucky ones with attractive loan schemes.

There was an interesting news item recently which mentioned that, come examination time, the sale of memory pills rise steeply. There are pills, tonics and even sandesh, specially treated with herbs to enhance the powers to memorize. School examinations are torture times for the complete family. If the child is of average intelligence, it has to face the music just as if it were one of the bright kids of the class. Parents egg them on to perform better and better. Marks in the region of ninety plus are the order of the day – no one seems to be bothered as to what the kid has learnt, they all want to find out is how much he has swallowed and how much of it he can throw up in the answer paper. With the competition already at the breaking point, tempers are frayed and, in some cases, the parents declare cold wars. Even guests are not welcome during these periods and, friends and relatives firm up dates of important programs like marriage taking into consideration the schedule for those who have kids lined up for the firing squads.

That is why malpractices have crept in, question papers are leaked and are easily available to those who can afford it. As new gadgets come into the market, the cheating becomes more professional and is not restricted to mere stealing, Xeroxing and distributing at a premium. It seems there are agencies that arrange for look alikes to sit in place of the original student – obviously, there are people who go to the limits to provide safety covers. Naturally, these come at a price and, once again, it is the moneyed lot who reap the benefits.

This is not to belittle the talented ones who enter the portals of prestigious institutions like the IITs or the IIMs – they are the jewels in our crown. But, their percentage is too small for comfort. The city of Nashik boasts of privately run engineering and medical colleges. The majority of the students is from outstations and has paid large donations to get admission. In due course of time, they will graduate and earn the distinction of adding the degrees after their names. Twenty years down the line we will come to know how they have really fared.

Our cricketers invest in hotels and restaurants as insurance against old age, our politicians invest in engineering and medical colleges, and the common man invests in his children. Most of them turn out to be commoners like their parents, only a handful become exception. With the increase of tuition fees of IIMs, it is but natural that only the selected ones will join the elite club and earn monthly remunerations that will instill a sense of inferiority complex in those of other professions.