Government's the problem & the solution?

Amidst the expose on malpractices and misuse of autonomy by medical colleges in Tamil Nadu, its interesting to note that government is trying to act tough. The HRD ministry has now issued notices to errant colleges asking why their deemed university status should not be withdrawn and action be taken under law.

But what most people miss out on, is the fact that 'selling' of seats, though an unlawful act, is actually a result of government policies. Anything can only sell for a premium only if there exists a demand in the marketplace for whatever it is that's selling at those prices. A medical seat can sell at such an exorbitant rate because there are buyers out there ready to pay the price. And such prices are sustainable because the supply of 'education' is scarce. Guess who's responsible for that scarcity? The Government!

I remember talking to a friend of mine who tried to start and run a school. The government virtually ran him out of this endeavour by ensuring that he faced hurdles in everything that he did, while trying to set up and run the school. The government-dictated policies out there virtually dashed his hopes of operating a school. And the man in question, was honourable, ethical and truly believed in education as a noble service.

Of course, the institutions who 'sold' their seats have violated the law. But what's more important to note is that the problem of 'selling seats' is a creation of the government itself. And now that very same government is trying to find a solution. I'll bet there's none. Such scams will continue unabated. The only way to stop such rackets is by easing governmental control on the sale of any product or service, education included, and by letting market forces dictate the supply of solutions to consumer demands. Of course, this doesn't sound well, especially when it comes to services such as education. Plus the transition from government control to letting market forces dictate, initially, will throw up problems. But tell, you what, that's the only way to plug the flow of 'scams'.

Take it or leave it.