Business-class education….....

The familiar pacy tune of dhoom in the background, the even more familiar taste of the dal roti and sabji took me back to my hostel mess. Well I was infact dining in a mess, but this was no ordinary college mess. This was the centrally air-conditioned student mess of the Indian school of business Hyderabad.
It didn't take me long to realize that I was in a high tech world. I mean there is technology everywhere and I mean everywhere right from the windows, which can adjust light at the touch of button to the toilets, which had sensors to flush. (Yep u read it right) u won’t believe it; the mess even had a conveyor belt to transport the plates to the washing area. Well everything in this college is simply extravagant. The whole complex including the restrooms is centrally air-conditioned.
But luxury apart no effort has been spared in providing the necessary facilities for the students. The college has visiting faculty from all over the world and the executive and governing board features the best names from Indian and global corporations. The classrooms are fully equipped with computers, projectors and even cameras to record the student's presentation. The videos are then analyzed so that students can improve on their body language during presentations. But the highlight of the college is a five-storied library. The library is open from 11 am to 2 am. The college has 3 hostels which it calls student villages apart from this there is separate accommodation for executives. The campus layout is well designed with landscaped gardens. The sprawling campus is located away from the hassles of the city. The campus is situated alongside the corporate offices of software giants like Microsoft and Infosys.

It was astounding the amount of luxury that the students were enjoying at this world class Indian business school. But as expected it doesn't come cheap. The institute charges 12-13 lakh rupees for a one year MBA course (that is if you aren't opting for family accommodation which will put you back by another 2-3 lakhs). Of course the fee is (has to be) inclusive of accommodation and food. GMAT, GRE or CAT scores are considered for admission into ISB. Well, ISB surely has redefined the way Indians experience education. But do students need this much to aid in their education is a question that still rings in my mind. Somehow the ISB seems to have too much of an excess. This so-called quality education is not restricted to institutes of higher learning like the ISB. We find more and more international schools cropping up in our metros. These schools too feature some if not all the facilities mentioned above. Whether or not all these high-tech facilities will translate into better students provided me with enough food for thought. Talking about food another question props up. Does a country like India where a substantial part of the population is still poor require this so called world-class education? My point here is that world-class education need not necessary translate into better students. As much as I appreciate the ISB and other such institutions for raise the bar on quality education I would rather that it remains a standard we always strive for than it becoming the standard….