Impact of fee reimbursement scheme unknown in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: Do the two Telugu states need to revisit their policy of Fee Reimbursement Scheme (FRS)?

According to the sources in the Telangana State Higher Education Department (TSHED) and Andhra Pradesh State Higher Education Department (APHED), there was no study conducted so far on the impact of the FRS and its outcomes.

For example, both the Telugu states are implementing FRS availed by nearly 320 engineering colleges, management and pharmacy colleges in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

However, there is no assessment done so far as to how many students availed FRS could land in jobs, went to higher studies, started their own enterprises and created job opportunities for others and the like.

Speaking to The Hans India, sources in the TSHED and APSHED said representatives of the industries have been providing their feedback expressing concerns over the lack of employable skills. Against this backdrop, "Impact Assessment of the FRS does provide the much-needed feedback," said a senior official from the TSHED. Adding, there have been no major changes made to the scheme since its inception in united Andhra Pradesh and no idea of the impact it has created so far.

While this is so, both the State governments have completely ignored a major area of studies which creates job opportunities.

For example, 40,000 students have enrolled in the Chartered Accountants course from the Hyderabad alone. The total number of students for the CA course is expected to be about 50,000. A similar number of students have register for the course from Andhra Pradesh.

Though the feel is comparatively lesser when compared to the engineering, management and pharmacy courses, the CA students are deprived of the FRS.

When contacted the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Central Council, Member, Dayaiwas Sharma confirmed that the CA students are not provided with any FRS support.

He said that the CA of ICAI is the second most popular course in the world. "There are nearly 9,000 CAs from the State working in Dubai and about another 5,000 in the United States," he added.

Further, unlike other course students, CA students draw a monthly stipend as mandated by the institute, ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 10,000. That apart, a student who qualified even intermediate level of the course draws a salary higher than many of their counterparts to which the FRS is extended. Those who have completed would earn salaries on higher brackets right from the start of their employment,.

"What is more interesting is that even those who have failed in their CA final are also being employed by several entities, firms and individuals. Thus, there is no problem of employability to those who study CA," he pointed out.

Against this backdrop, extending FRS to students to courses like CA would create employment opportunities and fill the huge shortage of people with skill sets that comes with the CA course.