The Hindu : Corporate colleges chasing students

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 16, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Corporate colleges chasing students

By Our Staff Reporter

ELURU DEC. 15. Corporate colleges, which are spreading their tentacles to every nook and corner of the State, seem to be in hot pursuit of `clientele.'

The corporate managements are allegedly foraying into high schools in the name of conducting talent tests in a bid to woo SSC students for admission to intermediate courses in their colleges.

One of such giant college based in Kakinada forayed into West Godavari district and conducted a talent test in different schools the other day, despite the ban on such tests imposed by the Board of Intermediate Education. Another college is planning for such tests slated in the next two weeks.

However, the attempts by the giant colleges to take away the `cream' for themselves are causing jittery to small- time and private junior college managements in the district. The growth of corporate colleges is received to be a serious threat to the small-time colleges run under private managements.

To quote the general secretary of the Affiliated Private Junior Colleges Management's Association, Lakkineni Prasad, 14 corporate colleges had established over 2000 branches in various parts of the State in the last two years. The vertical growth turned out to be suicidal for Government colleges and small and medium private colleges. "For instance, as a result of the growth in favour of corporate colleges which offer intermediate education with residential facility, there were virtually no takers for over five lakh seats in the two-year intermediate courses in the last academic year in both Government and private junior colleges numbering about 3000,'' Mr. Prasad said. Seeking a blanket ban on the expansion of private colleges, he wanted the Government to declare a `five-year holiday' on the growth of other private colleges too.

The corporate colleges are charging Rs. 17,000 on a day's scholar and Rs. 40,000 on a student, who opt for residential education per year. The exorbitant and unlimited fee structure is said to be due to lack of government control over the private colleges.

Meanwhile, 200 private junior colleges were closed in Hyderabad and 400 colleges had become defunct in different parts of the State as a fallout of the vertical growth of corporate colleges, Prasad said.

Mr. Prasad highlighted the need for the Government to abolish the EAMCET system which had lost its relevance and was intended only to help corporate colleges in minting money on the pretext of offering coaching to the candidates by collecting hefty amounts towards fee.

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