Middlemen exploit desperate parents, fleece lakhs for college admissions

CHENNAI: When K Vandhana, a homemaker in Chennai, received an SMS from an unknown number offering admissions in colleges, she was happy, as her son could not secure good marks in Class 12 exam, which would impact his ability to get into the college he wanted through State-run engineering admissions.

When she called the number, an agent, who answered her call, said that admissions were offered in engineering, and Arts and Science colleges not only in Tamil Nadu but also across other states. But, the agent offered engineering, Arts and Science seats only in private universities.

Parents’ fear

Vandhana is not the only parent who is conned by unscrupulous agents. As parents compete with each other to get admission in top private colleges especially in Tamil Nadu, agents monetise their fear and anxiety over their respective wards’ futures by making false promises and taking money from them.

Assuring seats in any institution, these agents demand at least Rs 10 lakh per engineering admission and for BCom course, it will be about Rs 5 lakh. The agents also demand at least 10% advance and rest of the money has to be paid after getting the admission in the required college.

“Most parents and even students would tell you that getting admissions in private institutions, especially in the deemed-to-be universities in TN, was difficult through merit due to heavy competition. This is a false perception created by the agents,” said D Prithivraj, an educational consultant. “Unfortunately, parents believe these agents, end up paying several lakhs which they wouldn’t otherwise have, and hence, incur heavy debt. But what’s worse is that they finally get a seat but in a college they never wanted in the first place.”

How it works

He also pointed out that agents have tie-ups with many private schools for getting numbers of parents of the wards in Class 12. “After collecting them at the beginning of every academic year, they send bulk SMS to these numbers,” he added.

To gain their trust, these agents tell the parents to visit the institution on the pretext of getting admissions. “Parents are made to sit in the reception hall and wait while these agents collect the ward’s application and submit it in the college. Here, a perception is created that the agent had met with senior members of the college management. Finally, when parents get admission, agents collect the remaining amount,” he elaborated.

Concurring with him was S Kalpana, a city-based students’ career consultant, who also organises education fairs. She said that agents have a big network across the country. “Since many seats remain vacant even after the admission season ends, agents, who have tie-up with the management of those institutions, fill the vacancy by taking money from both the college and parents. They also act as PR to the institutions.”

Kalpana pointed out that most parents who were cheated by such agents do not complain to the government authorities. “They do not want their actions to be made public, as they fear it would impact their ward’s future prospects. When such underhanded methods go unreported, it’s difficult to prevent them,” she stated.

Colleges say

Professor P Thirunavukkarasu, deputy secretary, Association of University Teachers (AUT), said: “It’s clearly mentioned in the prospectus of most colleges, especially those affiliated to Anna University and other State-run universities, that we would not encourage any middlemen in the admission process.”

He also pointed to the government’s instruction to all colleges not to collect any donations from parents.

“Parents should not believe agents who promise them admissions in Anna University and its affiliated colleges. All seats are given to students only on merit basis. Seat allocations are made only through a computer process and there is no question of any manipulation,” he clarified.

R Nandhakumar, director of communication, SRM Institute of Science Technology, said that the institution has installed banners and posters in and around the campus. “It’s our way of cautioning parents and students not to fall for such promises as the university has not appointed any agents. We do not ever collect donations from students,” he averred.

A senior official from the Higher Education Department said that both Directorate of Technical Education (DOTE), which manages all engineering and polytechnic colleges in TN, and Directorate of Collegiate Education, under which all the Arts and Science colleges operate, have issued a circular to colleges asking the management to install posters and banners warning parents not to approach any agent. “The Medical Council of India has also issued notices to students to create awareness among their parents about the implications of approaching agents to get admissions,” he said.