The recent suicide of a girl student at the NM Institute of Engineering and Technology (NMIET) on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, has triggered a serious debate and exposed the blood-soaking college authorities, who just want huge money at the cost of human lives. The innocent girl had to end her life after being denied to appear in the exam. Her fault – she failed to pay course dues worth Rs 16,000.

The female student was subjected to terrible mental torture, as the college management remained adamant and refused to show any leniency towards her. The police finally arrested Bhagirathi Mallick, a faculty member and in-charge of the administration, on charges of ‘abetment of suicide’ after the protests raged further. However, will it be able to bring her back?

If we believe the students of NMIET, the girl was having a tough time to pay her bill after losing her parents. She was getting all assistance from her maternal uncle. Mr. Mallick reportedly threatened to pay full payment or face consequences. He alleged asked the poor girl to sell her kidneys off if she did not have money. The students alleged that another student had also committed suicide last year because of fee burden.

This is not the one-off case in Odisha. With more vested interests joining the Education sector to make huge profits, the college students find themselves at the receiving end, succumbing to the greed of the college authorities. It’s high time the government step in and impose restrictions on these colleges so that innocent lives are not lost in this manner.