Profit Inc.
While the profit of three admission committees for the professional courses in the government institutes is in crores, there is no relief to aspiring students who demand decrease in the prices of admission forms
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, June 18, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?page=article§id=2&contentid=2012061820120618004816628c721602f)
Are students, seeking admission to the professional government colleges being fleeced? If the whopping earnings and savings by the three admission committees which sell forms and look into the admission process is any indication, the suspicion may well be true.
A mere glance at profits of these committees, which run into crores of rupees, indicates that the government may not be averse to commercialising education in professional institutes by charging higher amount from the students in the sale of admission forms.
The details procured under Right to Information Act, and subsequent investigations carried by Mirror revealed that the three admission committees of government which have been looking into the admission process of medical and engineering institutes have earned more than Rs 14 crore in last four years.
And despite a substantial interest, on these earnings, which have been put in the fixed deposit with Gujarat State Finance Service and State Bank of India, the authorities concerned, so far have no concrete plans for either utilising this huge amount for the benefit of students or reducing the cost of admission forms.
PROFIT: RS 2 CR A YEAR
According information received through an RTI application, the Admission Committee for Professional Courses (ACPC), alone, which looks after the procedure for admission to the courses of engineering and pharmacy, has earned more than Rs 9 crore in last three financial years (2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11). The expenses incurred on the other hand were only Rs 3.9 crore during this period. Sources said, this year too the committee has sold around 64,000 forms, each at the cost of Rs 350, before closing the sale on June 11. Every year, the profit earned by the committee is around Rs 2 crore.
The expenses on the other hand seem minimal, as figures revealed that the committee paid only about Rs33.18 lakh to National Informatics Centre (NIC) for facilitating on-line admission. The cost incurred on each student was barely Rs16.27, figures revealed. No other expenses was shown.
Similar trend was observed in the earnings of two other committees, Admission Committee for Professional Diploma (ACPD) Courses and Admission Committee for Professional Medical Education Courses (ACPMEC), which look into the admission process of students to diploma in engineering courses and MBBS, BDS and other medical and paramedical courses respectively. Admission forms for these courses, which were available for a price between Rs 160 and Rs 250 were sold till this week.
‘REDUCE THE PRICE TO RS 200’
Voicing concern, several students and their representatives resented that instead of “acting like any other profit-making private education body”, the government should have been considerate towards students and reduced the price of admission forms to Rs 100, after having made such “huge profits”.
“Students from poor families where daily earning is between Rs 150 and 250, can ill-afford to buy these expensive prospectus. The government should reduce the cost and also draw a plan for diverting the existing earning for the benefit of students,” said Sanjay Pandey an aspiring engineer.
Echoing his sentiments, Manish Doshi Gujarat University Syndicate member claimed that there was a time when the admission forms for these institutes were available for Rs 40 each. “Now with the advancement of technology prices have been raised up to Rs 350. Students are being made to pay Rs 150 to Rs 200 more than the actual cost. With the earnings growing every year the government should reduce the price of these forms and provide relief to students,” he said.
Suggesting that the government should draw a plan for proper utilisation of this money and use it for the benefit of students, he said that the provision should be made to refund the amount which has been charged from the students.
Other students also mentioned that the authorities should immediately declare as to what they plan to do with the profit and interest being earned on the money.
PANEL MEMBERS IN DENIAL
When contacted, ACPC Member Secretary M N Patel denied that the students were being overcharged. “The forms were being sold at the mentioned price with the purpose of saving maximum money which could later be used for constructing admission committee building and developing new software for conducting admission process,” he said.
Another member, however, conceded that the norms for the admission procedure were being formulated by the authorities concerned in the state education and health department. “We just follow the norms and implement them,” he said.
Forms sold in lakhs
Student representatives claimed three admission committees for professional colleges and institutes are charging six to seven times more for admission forms and providing the PIN, which is required for the admission.
Every year ACPC sells around 64,000 admission forms all over the state. A form costs Rs 350. Forms were sold till June 11 this year.
ACPD sells about one lakh admission form every year. Each form costs Rs 250. Forms are available till Monday.
It already has over Rs4 crore in fixed deposits in banks and is earning Rs13 to Rs15 lakh per year in interest.
ACPMEC sells around 20,234 forms, each priced at Rs 160. Last date for sale of forms this year was June 16.
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, June 18, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?page=article§id=2&contentid=2012061820120618004816628c721602f)
Are students, seeking admission to the professional government colleges being fleeced? If the whopping earnings and savings by the three admission committees which sell forms and look into the admission process is any indication, the suspicion may well be true.
A mere glance at profits of these committees, which run into crores of rupees, indicates that the government may not be averse to commercialising education in professional institutes by charging higher amount from the students in the sale of admission forms.
The details procured under Right to Information Act, and subsequent investigations carried by Mirror revealed that the three admission committees of government which have been looking into the admission process of medical and engineering institutes have earned more than Rs 14 crore in last four years.
And despite a substantial interest, on these earnings, which have been put in the fixed deposit with Gujarat State Finance Service and State Bank of India, the authorities concerned, so far have no concrete plans for either utilising this huge amount for the benefit of students or reducing the cost of admission forms.
PROFIT: RS 2 CR A YEAR
According information received through an RTI application, the Admission Committee for Professional Courses (ACPC), alone, which looks after the procedure for admission to the courses of engineering and pharmacy, has earned more than Rs 9 crore in last three financial years (2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11). The expenses incurred on the other hand were only Rs 3.9 crore during this period. Sources said, this year too the committee has sold around 64,000 forms, each at the cost of Rs 350, before closing the sale on June 11. Every year, the profit earned by the committee is around Rs 2 crore.
The expenses on the other hand seem minimal, as figures revealed that the committee paid only about Rs33.18 lakh to National Informatics Centre (NIC) for facilitating on-line admission. The cost incurred on each student was barely Rs16.27, figures revealed. No other expenses was shown.
Similar trend was observed in the earnings of two other committees, Admission Committee for Professional Diploma (ACPD) Courses and Admission Committee for Professional Medical Education Courses (ACPMEC), which look into the admission process of students to diploma in engineering courses and MBBS, BDS and other medical and paramedical courses respectively. Admission forms for these courses, which were available for a price between Rs 160 and Rs 250 were sold till this week.
‘REDUCE THE PRICE TO RS 200’
Voicing concern, several students and their representatives resented that instead of “acting like any other profit-making private education body”, the government should have been considerate towards students and reduced the price of admission forms to Rs 100, after having made such “huge profits”.
“Students from poor families where daily earning is between Rs 150 and 250, can ill-afford to buy these expensive prospectus. The government should reduce the cost and also draw a plan for diverting the existing earning for the benefit of students,” said Sanjay Pandey an aspiring engineer.
Echoing his sentiments, Manish Doshi Gujarat University Syndicate member claimed that there was a time when the admission forms for these institutes were available for Rs 40 each. “Now with the advancement of technology prices have been raised up to Rs 350. Students are being made to pay Rs 150 to Rs 200 more than the actual cost. With the earnings growing every year the government should reduce the price of these forms and provide relief to students,” he said.
Suggesting that the government should draw a plan for proper utilisation of this money and use it for the benefit of students, he said that the provision should be made to refund the amount which has been charged from the students.
Other students also mentioned that the authorities should immediately declare as to what they plan to do with the profit and interest being earned on the money.
PANEL MEMBERS IN DENIAL
When contacted, ACPC Member Secretary M N Patel denied that the students were being overcharged. “The forms were being sold at the mentioned price with the purpose of saving maximum money which could later be used for constructing admission committee building and developing new software for conducting admission process,” he said.
Another member, however, conceded that the norms for the admission procedure were being formulated by the authorities concerned in the state education and health department. “We just follow the norms and implement them,” he said.
Forms sold in lakhs
Student representatives claimed three admission committees for professional colleges and institutes are charging six to seven times more for admission forms and providing the PIN, which is required for the admission.
Every year ACPC sells around 64,000 admission forms all over the state. A form costs Rs 350. Forms were sold till June 11 this year.
ACPD sells about one lakh admission form every year. Each form costs Rs 250. Forms are available till Monday.
It already has over Rs4 crore in fixed deposits in banks and is earning Rs13 to Rs15 lakh per year in interest.
ACPMEC sells around 20,234 forms, each priced at Rs 160. Last date for sale of forms this year was June 16.
