Migration of students to metropolis for higher education
From CK Nayak
New Delhi: Meghalaya, considered to be an educational hub, is now making a feverish pitch not only to keep the tag intact, but also to make it more lucrative as a large number of students from the region are making a beeline to the metropolis for higher education.
Paradoxical it may seem that despite having several institutions of higher education in Shillong, a large number of students are going to Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and even Kolkata, a recent survey, conducted by a private company, said. Many students are taking up jobs in such metropolis after finishing their education, the survey said.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Megh-alaya’s Minister for Excise, Transport and Power AT Mondal said to arrest this trend the Meghalaya government has urged the Centre to exempt the education sector including higher education from tax net.
The Ministry of Finance in its meeting of the Empowered Group of State Finance Ministers here last Saturday had proposed to include education in GST all over the country.
The Meghalaya Minister, however, opposed the move vehemently.
Mondal feels that the tax exemption provided by the recognized state and Central government institutions in the region should be extended to degree and diploma level. “This will encourage and promote education in states like Meghalaya,” he said.
Meghalaya’s Education Minister Dr RC Laloo in one such meeting had reiterated the state’s demand for 100 per cent funding for activities and interventions deemed mandatory under the RTE Act. He also demanded that the HRD Ministry should support recurring expenditure for the 12th Five-year Plan period at least. Mondal pointed out that due to the absence enough scope for higher education students from Meghalaya and other Northeastern states are migrating in large numbers to the metropolis. To get over this situation the Meghalaya Government is encouraging setting up of more institutions of higher education both in private and public sectors in the State. “This move would be negated if social sector like education is taxed,” Mondal argued. The Union Finance Ministry agreed with his views and decided to consider the same.