Goa taxes rich to fund poor kids

The Goa cabinet has approved a unique scheme that requires richer parents to pay more for their child's education so that the extra money can be used for financing a poor student's studies.

"Parents who have an income of more than 3 lakh a year will be required to pay additional 10 to 15 per cent than the actual fees. The amount will increase gradually till it covers the actual cost of the course," chief minister Manohar Parrikar told reporters here last evening.

He said, for example, the Rs 7,000 annual fees for engineering is just a fraction of the amount of Rs 30,000 that we spend on each student. So parents who can afford to pay more will be required to do so.

The extra money will "not go into government coffers" but put into a separate account that will be used to fund the higher education of poor students, who qualify for admission, he said.

The scheme, which comes into effect from the next academic year, is applicable to graduate level education and professional colleges, he said adding that parental income shall be decided on the basis of the certificate provided and the fee slab determined according to a formula.

"The extra money will benefit poor students who have a desire to study further but cannot do so due to financial hurdles. If required, the government shall back up the fund with some more money," Parrikar, who also holds the education portfolio, said.