Karnataka: Much ado about nothing

Theres a storm in a teacup in Karnataka (pop. 57 million) over the prevalent practice of colleges levying extra tuition fees to coach already enrolled students for all-India competitive exams. According to several news reports in Bangalore-based dailies, privately managed PU (pre-university) colleges in the city are charging their students between Rs.10,000-20,000 to prepare them for exams such as IIT-JEE (Indian Institutes of Technology Joint Entrance Examination), CAT (Common Admission Test), the Karnataka state governments CET (Common Entrance Test) for admission into professional colleges, AIEEE (All-India Engineering Entrance Examination) etc.The practice has aroused the indignation of some academics, particularly Left-leaning intellectuals in the state who say that the levy of additional coaching fees by PU colleges is not justifiable and against state legislation. According to them, colleges levying additional coaching fees are violating the Karnataka Education Act, 1983 and the guidelines of the Karnataka Board of Pre-University Education.
Its morally unjustifiable for college managements to charge extra for such coaching as its their duty to prepare students to face competitive examinations. Usually in competitive examinations questions are based on the regular syllabus. Then why do students need extra coaching for the same syllabus? If the PU colleges have a good teaching system then students would not have to spend extra amounts on private tutorials, says M.S. Thimappa former vice-chancellor of Bangalore University.
S.G. Hegde, commissioner of the PU Board, endorses this point of view: PU Board guidelines and the Karnataka Education Act forbid college managements from taking special classes for such exams. Even if they do conduct special coaching classes they shouldnt charge their students additionally. We will take action against such colleges, he warns.
However college manage-ments justify levying additional fees for entrance exams tuition, stating that students otherwise would have to pay exorbitant charges to private coaching centres. We are not forcing students to pay additional fees. We are offering them a cheaper option. Moreover it saves them travel time as they get everything under one roof, says a spokesperson of Vision PU College.
According to PU Board sources, a growing number of colleges offer marginally more intensive tuition during regular class hours and charge huge sums depending on the entrance exam opted for by students. At best one additional teacher is employed per class to help out. For instance at Bangalores Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain College Rs.18,000 is charged to IIT aspirants in addition to the Rs.18,600 tuition fee per year payable by PU science students. Despite repeated calls and assurances, the corporate communications department of the college refused to comment on the issue.
Perceptive students are unanimous that paying an additional Rs.18,000 to the Mahaveer Jain College for questionable quality coaching for the highly competitive all-India entrance exams doesnt make economic sense. The quality of faculty and teaching in front rank coaching schools such as FITJEE and Career Launcher is far superior since they employ highly paid tutors including IIM and IIT graduates. True they charge more, but they regularly get their students into IITs, IIMs and other top institutions. What Jain College does is charge twice for the same education. They dont hire any special faculty for coaching. Its a racket, says a student who preferred to remain anonymous.
Nevertheless the indignation of a clutch of academics in Bangalore about the coaching option offered by several PU colleges to their students is much ado about nothing because its only an option — and is far from compulsory. Moreover they offer the advantage of a low-cost option. Therefore as in all else, caveat emptor (‘buyer beware).
Mekhala Roy (Bangalore)