An editorial from 2010, named “The decay in Indian education and society: Are we responsible for it?” tactfully examines popular trends in medical and educational institutions and puts forth the term “education mafia” to describe the motley crew of powerful people who puppeteer students according to their whims. The education mafia then springs into conversations here and there sporadically until the paper leaks of 2026 NEET exams. Rage spreading like wildfire about the corruption in the noble field of education consumes students who have piously devoted their life to the pursuit of erudition.
This education mafia refers to the nexus of politicians, bureaucrats and private entities who profit off the education system by exploiting it. This network involves rigged examination processes, faulty admissions and hyper-commercialized coaching culture which boosts a toxic environment for students and other individuals entrenched in this culture. One of the most prominent fields of their influence are the examination and paper leak rackets. The integrity of some high participation exams like the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and other central and state examinations have been compromised by organised paper leaks and paper solver gangs. Though there have been strict legislations passed against the act with 10-year jail term and a fine of up to ₹1 Crore, the mafia still continues to operate with negligible conviction cases.
The mafia is also secretly providing individuals with degree certificates without actually going through coursework through Degree Mills. “Degree Mills” are counterfeit institutions that exist only on paper and provide degrees to teachers to certify them as a pupil of B.Ed and D.El.Ed. This hampers the quality of educators of the country therefore, making the foundation of the whole system weak. The government has conducted various crack downs and undercover operations pertaining to this issue but was unable to eliminate the problem from its roots.
Another kleptocratic practice includes the huge hole that remains unaddressed by the government. The government of India provides top tier colleges for students pursuing engineering and medical but the student-to-seat ratio is highly disproportionate with students competing with thousands for their opportunity and this is capitalized heavily by coaching institutes. These conglomerates create a hegemonic system – dictating curriculum, draining the middle class families and creating a stressful and extremely competitive environment for students which is not at all conducive to them.
The cartel also works at K-12 level where alliances between state officials and private school management results in exorbitant school fees, hidden charges, mandatory overpriced books and school stationery from specific vendors and subversion of regulations. These are all the different scope of the mafia’s clout. The education mafia is also involved in the hundreds of cases of mass copying and providing employment to thousands of incompetent job seekers. But the question is – what happens to those affected by the deliberations of this syndicate when the government’s efforts seem to be ineffective? Do they deserve to go through the rigmarole of these exams again and again till their faith in merit is completely shattered? Or do they take a backseat in their own life and see where others’ decisions take them? Hopefully in the following years, it’s neither of these choices and students are allowed to participate in a system that works for them and not against them.
Image credit – Wikimedia Commons
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