Education barons in taxman's net

‘Shikshan Samrats’ come under IT scanner
Akshay A. Kalbag
There are four great levelers in India –cinema, cricket, festivals and income tax. But unlike the first three, income tax is not welcomed by anybody with great enthusiasm. In fact, people are more interested in finding ways to evade paying their taxes.
Like the other three, income tax also, however, does not differentiate between people on the basis of their age, religion, linguistic background, caste, family background, educational qualifications, profession, likes, dislikes, hobbies, political leanings and, well, income of course.
The week gone by was a week journalists would like to remember all their lives, and the education barons of Maharashtra, known as ‘Shikshan Samrats’, would prefer to forget as soon as possible.
The taxman came knocking on the doors of thirty–five prominent educational institutions, run by prominent and influential founder–directors with a lot of clout and powerful political connections.
When Padmashri awardee Dr. S.B. Mujumdar started the Symbiosis group of institutions, it is pretty clear he didn’t quite know what the word ‘symbiosis’ meant. It means ‘inter–dependence’. Well, here’s hoping the IT (income tax) officers taught him the true definition of the term and that it does not mean the students depend on the institution for a high quality of higher education, and in turn, the institute depends on their (obviously loaded) parents for higher capitation fees and donations.
“Kadam kadam badhaaye ja, seedhe IT ke net mein phas ja!” This is not a rehash of an inspirational song, but this is exactly what happened with the Bharati Vidyapeeth founder, Dr. Patangrao Kadam. Expecting the (dis) honourable Minister for Co–operatives of the Government of Maharashtra to co–operate with the parents and students who come to seek admission is not as easy as flying a ‘patang’ (sorry, kite.) It seems the sinister minister is hell –bent on running a ‘doomed’ and ‘autocratic’ university, not a ‘deemed’ and ‘autonomous’ one.
The situation at the D.Y. Patil chain of institutions is no better. The parents of those seeking admission to various courses are helpless as it is, but the rate of capitation fees being charged makes one wonder if the D.Y. Patil institutions are producing D.Y. (doomed youngsters.)
Hapless folks, the next gentleman to come under the scanner of the income tax department ironically occupies a very important position–the UNESCO Chair of the World Peace Centre at Alandi. The relevance of the Chair and the importance of the organization and the location does not seem to stop Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT) founder Dr. Vishwanath Karad from disturbing the peace of mind of the parents and also shredding the future of their wards to pieces.
These high and MIT (sorry, mighty) ‘shikshan samrats’ have turned higher education in the state into a bazaar. Let’s hope the IT raids on their premises serve as a wake–up call to these founders who’ve floundered by attempting to turn education into a commodity and sell it at the bizarre Indian bazaar. Otherwise, we will continue to shell out huge amounts of money every year only to serve these education barons and ourselves end up getting educated yet remain ‘barren’ (both in the mind as well as in the wallet.)