The Money Pit

      Higher Education has always been expensive. Up to our school education, expenses such as fees, money for books, uniforms, etc remain fairly low, although this scenario is rapidly changing is India. Nowadays, we have private prep-schools in metros for tiny kids charging as high as secondary schools. The Education sector in India has become a lucrative business. Setting up a school or college is seen as an investment which guarantees high returns. India has thousands of colleges and private schools, and they often charge extremely high fees. Even though in India all private educational institutions have to be operated on a not for profit basis, still the owners of such colleges manage to siphon off huge sums through illegal means. Also, high fees doesn't mean that the quality of education imparted in these institutions is world class. The case of private schools is relatively good, as their standards are usually high. But somehow, colleges for technical education in India come nowhere near their counterparts abroad. The sad thing is, everyone here knows this. But still, they enroll in such colleges, year after year.

    Why does this happen in India? Well, I believe that the main cause for this is overpopulation in our country. This is the single most important factor why things are the way they are today in India. Our population is so large, that every year we generate a small nation of students who are ready to enter college. Now students in India have very limited choices when it comes to choosing a profession. Indian students, most often have to study to be an engineer or doctor. Why not study what you want to become, you might ask. Why not a photographer? Archaeologist? Sports researcher? Scientist in any other field? Or in every words, every thing 'unconventional'? 

   

It doesn't happen because in India a person's success is measured by how much he or she earns, what car they drive and the number of rooms in their apartment. To achieve all this, you have to graduate in a technical course, at least in India you have to. Other jobs, even if satisfactory, will not give you a secure livelihood all the time. We don't have jobs here for young researchers, and other professionals, which are good paying. An engineering degree will get you a stable job, and everyone will be happy. People here want to settle down as soon as possible, or else what will your "door ke rishtedaar" say about you? Who will want to marry you? This is how things work.

    But, if you really don't care about all this, then pick up your sword and shield and march into the battle of choosing your own career, instead of putting all your money into a crappy college and then working like maniacs to recover all that money. Live your life the way you want to. Haan, you might have to make do without a car for sometime.