Cost of university education in India

[app_engine]

The statement of Anna university VC related to the suicide of a student who cannot fund education is published here :

http://www.dinamalar.com/fpnnewsdetail.asp?news_id=5512

Let's use this thread to discuss about the costs & related issues of doing a degree course in TN / India

[app_engine]

It's outrageously funny to think of this fact: the money I had to pay for admission of my son into 5th standard in a CBSE school in Palakkad was numerically greater than the total cost to us for my engg degree (Tution fees / mess bill / hostel fees / exam fees / pocket money - everything together. And no merit scholorships for me because my parents' income exceeded the cut-off of Rs 500 per month in 1981. Considering that the monthly average college cost was around 350 then, this was excellent logic by gov:-) )

[littlemaster1982]

Forget degree courses. Some schools in Bangalore charge a whopping 40,000 Rupees for LKG. They are not International schools either.

[rajraj]

app_ engine: You should know that education has become a business in India. These businesses do not care about social responsibility.
My engineering class is celebrating its Golden Jubilee ( of our finishing B.E) next year (2010). I asked the organizers in Madras to establish a scholarship endowment for poor students from rural areas. They did not care. But, they are planning to upgrade a conference room in the college with modern facilities, for a college that charges capitation fees( as I understand).
I cited the practice in Stanford. Did not get very far! :(

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/finaid/undergrad/how/index.html

I think the government should stipulate that students from families with income below a cut off should be given free education as a condition for AICTE recognition.

Cheers!
Raj

[padmanabha]

We have plenty of govt schools-where education is free. But how man y of us are willinmg to send our children to govt schools (state syllabus). There is a strong notion that state syllabus is inferior (to some extent it is true also) and so is the coaching. Parents who want their children to be professionals (only drs and enggs-as if there is no other profession in the world exist and the society needs only drs and enggs) send their children to pvt schools-whee u have to pay exhorbitant fee and donations.
In kerala which is known for its literacy rate-we had DR Joseph Mundasseri a great educationist-he was the first edn minister in the EMS Govt in 1957-and he was a man with great visions and introduced several reforms. The left govt introduced DPEP SYSTEM in schools which literally spoiled the future of a generation. It is interesting to know that the children of the union leaders and even ministers, study in pvt schools.
Education is no more a service sector now. It has become a business.
The number of students admitted in govt schools is gradually declining, upsetting the student teacher ratio-which means teachers are likely to send home.
Regarding the fee hike I would like to inform that Kerala University last week enhanced the exam fee after 33 years!

[app_engine]

rajraj,
True, businesses don't care about social respo. However, shouldn't the gov bother?

Also, there's possible business opportunity in handing out education loans also - though the risk factor is quite high (as the student may not finish the course / not land on a job quickly etc).

Padmanabha,
At least in schooling, there's an option (wide availability of gov schools, though quality is suspect). OTOH, in college education, that option is hardly available as there are very few gov funded / aided institutions (in TN context, i.e.)

Instead of increasing the funding to universities (also may be operating more of gov aided colleges) and setting up strict norms for fees, gov seems to be not bothered (as the politicians who run gov are mostly the ones running the self-finance college biz)