This refers to the editorial “The business of B-schools” (September 24). With the opening up of economy in the early nineties and a gradual decline in the stature of sarkari jobs, an MBA degree has become a passport to a well-paying job and an enviable status in society. Over the past decade and half, there has been an explosion in the number of management colleges. These fly-by-night operators are churning out MBAs in lakhs; the majority of them will be rudely shocked to find no takers for their subpar skills. Things have come to such a pass because of the government’s laxity in granting approval to such dubious colleges. Gullible students are duped into believing that an AICTE stamp legitimises the institution into which they gain admission. The faculty at such colleges is low on PhDs and abysmal in terms of papers published and research. Is it any wonder, then, that the alumni of these colleges end up adding to the unemployment figures? We have lost the plot somewhere; it would be better to focus on quality rather than quantity. The IIMs and some tier-A management institutes are examples of how quality education is imparted. Let’s replicate this on a bigger scale.
Dushyant Singh Panwar, New Delhi
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