Student Protests Force Modi Retreat as India’s 100,000-Student College Hub Leaves Graduates in Debt
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 18
Student Protests Force Modi Retreat as India’s 100,000-Student College Hub Leaves Graduates in Debt
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 18
Summary
Student-led protests last month forced a rare retreat by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, bringing national attention to rising anger over costly degrees that are not leading to good jobs.
Roughly 100,000 students have poured into private colleges in Noida’s five Knowledge Parks over the past decade, but the surge in graduates has far outpaced the supply of well-paying work.
Families are draining savings and taking on loans to pay tuition; one 18-year-old student expects a $15,000 degree, partly financed by $7,000 in bank debt that starts accruing 10% interest a year after graduation.
That mismatch is leaving many graduates jobless or underpaid, undermining the long-sold promise that a college degree would lift young Indians into the middle class.