'Pass' on the threats

Any teaching institution needs one major ingredient to continue to exist - students. Paying students.

Yet, in the past few years, finding students to fill all the seats has become a challenge for any dental college. 

There are too many dental colleges across the country, and too few people aspiring to become dentists. Students and their parents from the big cities around India do not exactly queue up for admission to dental colleges. There are many more career choices than dentistry, and far more lucrative careers too. 

But those seats MUST be filled. It is a fight for existence. All's fair in war - and never mind anyone's love for the profession. Every single casual enquiry must be aggressively pursued and roped in to sign up as a student. Each institution employs agents to scour for and source students from the furthest corners of the country. But why would anyone be interested to spend a few lakhs of rupees to educate their child in dentistry and take up a career that already appears to be overcrowded? Unless, of course, there is an interesting freebie on offer?

That freebie is not a discount. It's not a new laptop. It's not even free hostel accommodation. It's just a promise.

भर्ती  करना  और पैसा देना आपका काम है। पास कराना हमारा काम है। 

Your commitment is to pay the fees we ask for, and enrol your child in our institute. Our commitment is that (s)he will pass the examinations.

The faculty is never privy to such information in advance, of course. Realization dawns when the final marksheet has its marks changed, before being sent to the University. Lately, the faculty knows. They do not try to forcefully insist upon fair assessment and results. Let the student pass as the management desires, and the faculty member gets a pat on the head, one doggie biscuit for his efforts, and a chance to stick around and draw a salary for some more time.

Of course, there are some exceptionally strong-headed, unreasonable, pretentiously righteous members of the faculty, who ignore the warning signs and covert or overt threats. They see clear reason after a short meeting with baseball-bat-and-hockey-stick-wielding persuaders, followed by a period of deep introspection along with admiration for the newly installed extra-large jewellery on their arm.

Threaten, and ye shall pass;

 Step over my broken bones into the next class.