College, Candidate’s Marks Decide Rates; Trying To Act Against Middlemen, Say Institutions

College, Candidate’s Marks Decide Rates; Trying To Act Against Middlemen, Say Institutions

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com  22.07.2020

In the current Covid-triggered uncertainty, with educational campuses off limits to students and parents, a network of middlemen is targeting those desperate for admission in top arts and science colleges. Promising seats in any college, these ‘agents’ demand anything from ₹80,000 to ₹5 lakh for a BCom seat, the most sought after, with an advance of ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 for the ‘booking’.

Following reports of a message about such a group doing the rounds on WhatsApp, TOI called the number mentioned. The man who answered said he was working for a consultancy and wanted details of the caller’s Class XII marks. “Due to the heavy competition, managements have increased donations this year. For a BCom seat in Loyola College, you may have to spend up to ₹5 lakh and those like Madras Christian College (MCC) and DG Vaishnav College, it may touch ₹3.5 lakh. The higher the marks are, the lower the donation will be,” he said. A seat at Ethiraj College for Women, he said, would cost ₹2 lakh.

It’s very simple, the agent said. “Before the college reopens, we will call you to the college. You have to pay the donation and fees to get admission. We have our people in colleges and have done several admissions previously.”

But, most city institutions say they don’t accept donation/capitation fee, with one institution even putting out a warning in its prospectus. “We do not collect any capitation fee for admission. But, brokers collect money in our college name. We are trying to prevent it,” said Loyola College principal Thomas Amirtham.

The college, he said, had automated the entire process, with aspirants ranked according to the details fed. Based on the roster system, the selection list is released for 50% of seats. “Every year, we fine-tune admission process to not provide space for middlemen or agents.”

It is a very serious menace, said R Ganesan, principal of DG Vaishnav College, adding that these people cash in on the students’ fear, given the present crisis. “Many may get admission in the normal process. But, agents project as if they got the seats with their influence. Students and parents need to be careful,” he said, adding that they had complained to police against such people.

A faculty member of Ethiraj College said they were monitoring social media for any such ‘information’ about the institution and added they had lodged a complaint last year in this connection.

Madras Christian College detected a group of such agents in Pallavaram and is planning to lodge a complaint with the cyber crime police. “We don’t collect donations or encourage any third party in our admission process,” said principal P Wilson.

Guru Nanak College principal MG Ragunathan said parents or students wanting to know about admission to a particular course can always contact the college. “They need not approach unknown persons,” he said. The college plans to release the rank list for all applicants to ensure transparency. Some colleges have deputed experts to monitor middlemen on social media including WhatsApp and Facebook.

Many may get admission in the normal process. But, agents project as if they got the seats with their influence

R Ganesan | PRINCIPAL, DG VAISHNAV COLLEGE