The recent proposal given by Ministry of Human Resources Development(MHRD) to various central universities across the country asking them to hike tuition fees and withdraw subsidies( to generate additional funds ), among other things,deserved serious attention in view of the growing exclusion of higher education to a few wealthy class.
If the proposal is implemented the first impact will be felt by students hailing from rural areas with not so well economic status. It is likely that most of the universities will fall in line with HRD’s direction.
As usual, the proposal had evoked strong reaction among students community. Leftist students groups had express their grave concern over the development as this could alienate thousands of backward students from getting access to higher education. Few days back Students Federation of India(SFI ) student wing of CPI(M) had organised demonstration in front of HRD ministry office in protest a against the alleged attempt at commercialization of higher education. The student body criticised the present attempt to increase fees in universities as another steps taken by UPA government to fulfill its neo -liberal agendas.The criticism sounds valid as over the years the government had taken a series of intitiative in which could be seen as a gradual move towards commercialisation of education sector.The green signal given by HRD minster Kapil Sibal to bring foreign universities in India could be seen as another move towards neo-liberal ideologies.
In the face of arguments and criticisms leveled against the proposed attempt at fee hikes, one thing stands clear, i.e. hiking fees will bound to result in further monopolization of higher education by a few-privilege class. Every Indian is a witness to how higher and specialised education is exclusively dominated by students belong to upper strata of society. With exorbitant tuition fess and the rigorous entrance exam which a student without proper coaching guidance can not afford to crack, joining IITs and IIMs are for many years an almost impossible dream for most of the economically weaker students. The coaching guidance fees for CAT and IIT entrance exam normally cost an aspirant more than ten thousand rupees.
In such a situation students coming from villages with not so well financial condition can not expected to join these so called ‘elite institutions’ or ‘institution of national importance’. Moreover, time and again IIMs are increasing their fees to cope with the rising expenditure. Few ST/SC students who managed join these prestigious university are still at a disadvantage position as compared to their fellow general category students. In this regard the recent ruling by Supreme court of India directing IIT-Delhi not to expel five students from backward class on the plea of their poor performance and instead provide them additional coaching to bring them at par with general category students is worth highlighting.
Increasing fees and cutting down of subsidies would not make much difference for students belonging to the higher strata of society. But for economically weaker students whose family annual income does not even cross one lakh, it would mean a huge burden. With inflation and increase living cost especially in metros, middle/lower class students are often put in a difficult situation. The low figure of students coming from Maraland in New Delhi to pursue higher education may be attributed to this factor. Keeping aside highly competitive admission procedure, studying in national capital with is high living cost is not an easy option for many of the Mara students. Further, many educational institutions in Delhi often demand exorbitant fees.
Barring JNU, which could be considered as one of the cheapest university in India with its highly subsidized fees, many colleges under DU are said to have charged high admission fees. This may also explain the reason why many Mara students choose to continue their higher education in Shillong or other nearer cities like Kolkata. On the other hand one would find different picture in the case of other district. It would not be wrong to say that majority of Mizo research scholars in Delhi belong to Aizawl city who are usually coming from a well-to -do families. One can thus see the growing exclusion of lower class students from the benefits of higher education from the instances of how Aizawl city contributed greater number of Doctors, Engineers and MBAs than that of other towns in Mizoram.
If India is to make rapid strides towards progress and fulfill its ambition to become a developed nation in the near future, it can not afford to exclude its under-privilege population from getting access to higher education. Hiking fees and cutting down of subsidies in universities across the country will further perpetuate the already existing disparity in the society. If education is the best means of social empowerment and eradication of inequality, higher learning can not be left to a few wealthy and privilege class.
Note: This article is contributed by M.H. James, MA (Political Science) student at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi. James is from Siata, a town/village within Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC) in Southeastern corner of Mizoram state. Thanks to him for raising this very important and relevant issue at hand.
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|2009-09-27 09:41:30 jams - correctiondear readers, please ignore the word 'IN' in the last sentence of second para and other spelling mistakes.....jams
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|2009-11-08 05:46:05 gud - RTE(2009)First, i apprciate u...
"Education( right education/ quality) is the means to virtues bent of mind", u mean to say, of course u'r right. Education is for all........Peace is the dictum of Indias Foreign Policy Approach paper.. Thus, education is for Peace. Ur concern about Wealthy n non-wealthy seems to have been solved recently....."Right to Education Bill-2009". It is a fundamental right, for all citizens of India, irrespective of classes.
Well done Mr. James... n wish u a very Happy Merry christmas.