Dimapur, April 9 (MExN): It is advisable not to study under free schemes—often the education institutions which offer these are not up to the mark and may jeopardize future prospects for students.
This warning was issued through a press release by the India Northeast Tribal Community Welfare Society (INTCWS). Its education wing is Libra Consultancy (at Notun Bosti here).
The Society has said that it inspected many universities, colleges, schools in India, based on which, it advised students and parents “not to be taken in by any such attractive advertisements /free education/scholarships” that are offered by agencies, stated INTCWS Chairperson Atsei Sekhose. The Society has advised students and parents to “weigh the pros and cons before taking any further step, as the student’s education and career is put at stake.”
After much hype around free schemes in Nagaland State, recently there was an exodus of “more than hundreds” of students returning from their respective colleges - where these students were admitted to different branch of professional study under the free education scheme/scholarship scheme.
While schemes that offer coverage of fees to undergo professional courses seem like a “onetime golden opportunity” for people, many seemed to have had a bitter experience in Nagaland, having to either return or continue their studies by paying fees, informed the INTCWS.
It further explained that “good and reputed college get their seats filled up and never offer these schemes; only some new colleges or those which are on the verge of closing down without students and not upto the mark try to earn revenue somehow by admitting students through this scheme.” So, though such colleges may have big infrastructure, they have “poor laboratories, libraries, shortage of faculties, students etc.” In some colleges, the Society alleged, “hostel students were compelled to sleep on the floors in packed rooms and do without chair and table.”
Explaining the modus operandi, the INTCWS elaborated that to get students under this schemes colleges give authorization letters, false assurance and offer huge amount per student as commission to agencies. Some of the organizations and agents allegedly change colleges every admission season according to the incentives offered.
In that, the Society stated that “those who deal with these schemes should take responsibility for positive or negative results about the entire admission processes instead of pinpointing each other and washing their hands off, as most of the students are innocent victims who have wasted their career, time and money etc.”
According to the INTCWS, it has also been offered these free schemes by some colleges from 2010 till date with “lots of assurance” but the Society has refused. The press release stated that some colleges even remarked to them that “parents don’t inquire about the education schemes for their children as long as it is free, so earn and why bother.”
Noting that last year many students in Punjab faced hardships due to college affiliation issue leading to them having to leave the colleges midway, the INTCWS also brought to attention that there are also many admission related problems like “fake universities, colleges, affiliation issue, language problems , discrimination of northeast students, manipulation etc in many colleges” as well as to beware of “dental, agri and allied colleges as many without students want to link with reputed organizations, institutes and even government departments just to get students.” In that, parents have been advised to be careful.
