My daughter

 As parents, we often prioritize two main things: our children's education and earning money to support it. These days, education—especially in premier institutions like IITs and IIMs—has become a very expensive affair. It can strain even a well-planned financial life.

When it comes to our children’s education, we must have a long-term vision. Studying at a top-tier technical institution is not the only path to success. Whether our children pursue technical or non-technical fields, what truly matters is that they excel in what they choose. Today, education is increasingly driven by the child's interests, not just the parent's expectations. Imposing our ambitions on them can sometimes suppress their creativity and turn them away from their true passions—and from us.

I say this from personal experience. I made several mistakes regarding my daughter’s education. I had a singular goal in mind: IIT. I enrolled her in top coaching institutes like FIITJEE and Maharshi Vidya Mandir School from class 7 to 12. We didn’t worry about the costs. But in doing so, I failed to consider her own interests.

Before appearing for the JEE (Main), my daughter told me she wasn’t interested in technical education at all. She didn't even want to sit for the exam. I was disappointed at first, but then I asked her what she truly wanted. She said her dream was to pursue a Master’s in English Literature.

I had missed the application deadline for the MA integrated course at IIT Madras. So we explored other options: NALSAR for BA LLB and IIM Indore for the Integrated Programme in Management (IPM). She wasn’t interested in law, so the only suitable option left was the IPM at IIM Indore.

This program is extremely competitive. It has only 120 seats, and nearly 50% are reserved, leaving around 60 seats in the general category across India. We had already dropped the idea of JEE (Main), so our focus shifted entirely to IPM or engineering admission through TANCET or SASTRA University in Tanjore.

The IPM entrance exam tests English, mathematics, followed by a Written Ability Test (WAT) and an interview. It is one of the toughest entrance exams, perhaps even tougher than JEE (Main). Fortunately, my wife had been helping my daughter with mathematics since class 7, which turned out to be a big advantage.

With her hard work and our support, she cleared the IPM entrance exam with an All India Rank of 100 and secured a seat at IIM Indore. While I was financially prepared for IIT or NIT fees (about ₹1–2 lakh per year), I wasn’t expecting the IPM program to cost nearly ₹7 lakh per year. That was a heavy burden—but with proper financial planning, I managed to pay the full amount, nearly ₹35 lakhs, without taking on any debt.

In the end, what I learned is this: our children should follow their dreams, not ours. Our role is to guide, support, and prepare them for the path they choose—not force them down one we imagine for them.

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