The state govern June 28: The state government is dragging its feet on bringing in changes in higher education citing its concern for students, but some education experts have a different explanation.

Academicians pitching for reforms in the higher education sector blame the strong corporate lobby for the government’s reluctance to agree to the one-nation-onesyllabus and single national common entrance test at 10+2 level for professional courses that is being suggested by the Centre.

They say the 10+2 education market is worth over `2,500 crore annually and 80 per cent of it is controlled
by corporate colleges.

“There is a huge market for Eamcet, IIT-JEE, AIEEE, JIPMER, and AFMC coaching in the state for over two decades now.
Parents are willing to spend `2 lakh on training a child for these exams along with Intermediate in corporate colleges. Any change in the existing syllabus and exam pattern will affect the corporate colleges. They are try ing to obstruct changes in the existing procedures tooth and nail. They are exerting all kinds of pressures on the government to oppose the reforms,” said Mr Chukka Ramaiah, academician and teacher MLC.

A common national exam for medical colleges would be a great relief to thousands of medical students in the state who have to juggle multiple entrance exams.

“Apart from Eamcet medical exam, thousands of our students appear for nearly a dozen entrance tests in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi.

This problem can be solved with the single entrance exam,” said Mr P. Madhusudhan Rao, a noted medical entrance exam trainer in the city.
The 10+2 education market is worth over ` `2,500 crore annually and 80 per cent of the market is controlled by corporate colleges.