HYDERABAD: The suicide of an M. Pharmacy student at Ibrahimpatnam has uncovered the inhuman face of professional education in the state. College managements do not want a student to discontinue studies because they lose fee reimbursement. If anyone wants to leave college, political influence is required to get the certificates back. Or, one could kiss goodbye to the papers!N Venkatesh committed suicide on Tuesday as the college refused to return his certificates in the middle of the course as he had decided to drop out. Venkatesh’s parents alleged the college management demanded Rs 2.5 lakh to release the certificates stating it would suffer a loss if he left in the middle.Venkatesh was doing M.Pharmacy at Sri Indu College, Ibrahimpatnam. He decided to take up a job as his family was not able to support his education.According to sources in the Higher Education Department, more than 10 per cent of students drop out of professional courses every year for various reasons.When students leave, college managements demand payment of the remaining tuition fee to give them their certificates. This is nothing but violation of government rules, officials say.When instances like these came to the notice of the government, the Department of Higher Education issued a circular on August 28, 2009, stating that colleges will face action if they refuge to return certificates. The government mentioned clearly in the circular that students need not pay anything to the college if they dropped out in the middle of the course.Despite complaints that colleges are withholding certificates, the Andhra Pradesh State Council for Higher Education (APSCHE) did not take any action against any college. The APSCHE washes its hands of the matter by writing a letter to the college concerned asking them to release the certificates.
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