‘Capitation’ robbery in engineering colleges: Will govt implement court order?

You are going to enroll your son or daughter in an engineering college. The court order says that even if you want to donate to that college, it is illegal.

2022 by the end of October in this regard Chennai High Court Justices Mahadevan and Muhammad Shafiq have come down hard against the education policy in their order. Judges have pointed out that various educational groups do not directly receive donations through their colleges, but create trusts and receive donations in its name. The judges also pointed out that the money received as a bribe was being exempted from income tax in the name of the trust.

Central and state governments should take all this into action. The Court observed that the registration of such trusts should be cancelled. Further, the judges ordered that the central and state governments should start a permanent website to facilitate the students and parents to file complaints regarding the capitation piece. The court also said that the government should advertise this website in important English newspapers and respective local language magazines at the time of counselling.

The Supreme Court has also issued a similar order in May 2022. But what is the action taken by the central and state governments in this regard is a big question mark. In this regard, Consumer Protection Association President SR Sriram said, ‘It has been over a year and a half since the court issued an order to start a separate website for registering complaints related to capitation pieces.

As far as I have searched, no such website has been created by the government. Only the All India Council for Engineering, which regulates engineering colleges, maintains a common website for receiving public complaints. Ten to eleven of them also receive complaints related to the capitation piece. As per the court order, the government is not making any advertisement about this capitation fee scam or related website.

Besides engineering colleges are not going to wait till counseling to fill their management quota. They have started the work of filling the management quota even before the plus two result.

Until a few years ago only in certain engineering colleges in Chennai, Coimbatore; That too the capitation piece was up to five lakh rupees only for certain courses. But now a famous engineering college in Coimbatore is buying capitation pieces for up to 30 lakh rupees for computer science course.

At least 20 engineering colleges in Chennai, Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur districts are buying capitation pieces up to Rs 15 lakh to enroll students in computer science and artificial intelligence courses. In Chennai and Coimbatore, admission is only if there is a capitation piece of 10 lakh rupees in some second stage colleges.

Even rural engineering colleges, which till a few years ago were clamoring for admissions, now charge a capitation piece of up to three lakh rupees for a computer science course. The central and state governments have not yet taken any action regarding this apparent fee robbery.

The reason seems to be that many politicians are educational principals. We are considering filing a contempt of court case regarding the government’s non-implementation of the court order in this matter.’ SR Sriram said.

Educationist Jayaprakash Gandhi said about this, ‘It cannot be said that all 440 engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu are collecting capitation piece. The parents of the students pay money to find colleges that provide good results and good job opportunities. Courses like computer science and artificial intelligence are especially in demand. We don’t approve of such high charges. At the same time, there is no evidence for this.

Quality teachers, quality new technology and infrastructural facilities in colleges also cost a lot of money. Therefore, the government should fix at least 90 percent of the amount spent in government colleges as fees for private college management quota.

In states like Karnataka, they call private colleges once a year and increase the management quota fee from time to time. But in Tamil Nadu, the fees have not been increased for the last five-six years, even though the owners of engineering colleges have been asking for this. Will teachers work without a pay rise for five-six years? Can a college run without new facilities?

Take medical admission. Government college fee is Rs 18,000. Government quota fee in private medical college is three to three and a half lakh rupees per annum. Management quota fee in private medical colleges is 12 to 13 lakh rupees. 25 lakh per annum fee if it is a net level university.

How big of a difference is there between government quota and management quota? Similarly, the demand to adjust the management quota fee for engineering colleges is very reasonable. This should be done by the higher education department of the Tamil Nadu government. After doing that it will be right to monitor the capitation fee as well. As of now, our stand is that no extra fee should be charged for 65 percent government quota seats in private colleges,” said Jayaprakash Gandhi.

Talking about this to Indian Express Tamil, former vice-chancellor and educationist Balaguruswamy of Anna University said, ‘I have also heard that the capitation piece is charged starting from 10 lakhs, 15 lakhs and even up to 30 lakhs for the computer science department. No doubt it is illegal.

Anna University and All India Council of Technology should monitor this. At the same time, they will not buy such a high fee with a receipt. So there is no proof for this. Those who gave money will not say that I gave. It is a big disease like cancer.

However, after collecting as many documents as possible, I took action against some colleges when I was the Vice-Chancellor. Similarly, I don’t know if they will take action without succumbing to political pressure in the current environment. This kind of money coming to colleges is black money. Even though the Income Tax Department sometimes conducts raids, there is no follow-up.

Even if the Supreme Court orders the launch of a website to file complaints in this regard, it is doubtful that it will yield any results. Because when I was the Vice-Chancellor, I made a clear statement that if colleges ask for extra fees, complain. But no one is ready to complain.

So not only those who take the money but also the parents who give it are thieves. What can the court do with the capitation fee which is bought without any evidence? It is possible only if you look at it as a people. What can we expect from people who vote with money?’ Balagurusamy questioned.

If the capitation fee is insufficient, it is the duty of the government to fix it at an appropriate level. It is the most important responsibility of the government to ensure that it does not charge more than that amount. Government and college managements should realize that court orders are not for flying in the wind.