Want an engineering seat? Shell out Rs5 lakh

Ronak Dave (name changed) has secured a meagre 42% at his standard XII (science) board examinations. However, with his ultra-rich parents supporting Dave, getting a seat in a reputed engineering college will be cakewalk for him.

The exorbitant donations being charged by engineering colleges in the city will prove godsend to students like Dave, who have barely managed to scrape through their class XII exams, but wish to take up engineering courses in good colleges nonetheless. And 'priced' at Rs5 lakh each, seats of mechanical engineering are the ones that are selling the most.

DNA spoke to several agents who work for Self-Financed Institutes (SFIs) to get them students, and came to know that the trend of paying hefty donations for entry into engineering colleges continues this year as well, with mechanical engineering being the most demanded specialisation. In terms of locations, Ahmedabad is the hottest, with colleges in the city being the most sought-after.

"Admission into mechanical engineering costs around Rs5 lakh, plus the institute's fees," said an agent who deals on behalf of almost half a dozen engineering institutes in the city. Another agent added that seats in courses other than mechanical engineering are available at a slightly lower rate of Rs4 lakh to Rs4.5 lakh each.   

Agents attribute these high donation rates to filthy rich parents who think nothing of 'buying' seats for their children. "It is like the demand-supply chain. If parents and students are making a beeline for a particular branch or college, the institute will smell the demand and charge accordingly," said one of the agents.

These agents get commissions ranging from 20 to 50 per cent from the institutes. "Students from Saurashtra, south and north Gujarat have this craze to study in Ahmedabad, and they compel their parents to 'buy' them admissions. But for those willing to go beyond Ahmedabad city limits, seats are available at lower rates,'' said an agent.

"For instance, just 35 km away from Ahmedabad, the rates will be Rs3 lakh to 3.5 lakh for the same branch. If you move 100 km from Ahmedabad, towards north Gujarat, the rates for the same branch will be between Rs1.5 lakh and Rs2 lakh,'' said the agent.