Creating more IITs vs Pasting the Label
(*Note* This post started as a reply to one of the comments but it went on to become so long, I thought, why not put it on the main page also)
The idea is not to restrict good quality education to a select few (no matter how noble that selection criteria might be, merit, eg). The main motivation is not the exclusivist zeal, "Ok, I managed to get into an IIT, so now let me try all that I can to make it as difficult for others as possible - so that I can always show off that holy tag".
The idea is the intense pain you feel when you see how completely incompetent imbeciles with suspect intentions destroying such sacred institutions. I mean, they have already decimated the law and order, administration and everything we collectively refer to as "system". That India is making progress is not because of them, but inspite of them. All the buzz about Indian economy is brought about by private enterprise and the contribution of political class is zilch. Of course we can always say that it was the political class which made it possible for private enterprise to operate but that's no consolation - infact that is something the political class should have done long back.
By all means, do create new institutions of excellence but please remember that it takes a lot more than just pasting the label.
What it would entail is a sustained supply of resources and complete non-interference from our politicos. Dedicated academicians, if given a free hand and sufficient resources can do wonders. The point is, will our political class let them do it?
And the story doesn't stop at infrastructure and resources. No doubt, they are essential, but what makes an institution really great is something more than that.
I have seen teachers sticking to their integrity like zealots, the son of the prof who was the JEE chairman during my time didn't make it to the IIT. I have seen teachers going to great lengths to make students comfortable, understand their problems and encourge them to explore and excel - so much so that whenever I performed bad in his paper, I used to feel such a genuine guilt that I have very rarely felt. But, and this is an important but - all professors in IITs are not like that. There are profs you really revere and worship and there are profs you feel, "Well how come he got a teaching job here". The profs that are worshipped by the students are the ones that make IITs, or for that matter, any institution great. And a very genuine near-crisis IITs are facing is an acute shortage of profs.
My concern is whether we are trying to spread our already scant resources (in terms of quality of profs availabe) too thin?
Another very important point to consider is that any brand reputation is actually a very fragile thing - I mean, it will take just a couple of defective pieces for the reputation of Sony or Mercedes to be razed to smithereens. Hence, we have to be very careful when expanding a brand - a brand that is considered holier than thou by many, across the world. I am not sure, though, if it even occurs to the blokes who are taking these decisions.
My contention is not against creating new engineering institutes of global repute. In fact, my contention is not against creating more IITs - but my contention is against callous decision making motivated by political considerations which threatens to destroy what has been built over so many years.
Create more world class institutes, create more IITs, but for God's sake, don't fool yourself and us in believing that it is as simple as pasting the label - or else, I'd have converted my beat up Ford into Mercedes long back.
The painful part is that people who are making such decisions seem grossly inadequate to understand and appreciate what really makes a great institution; are incapable of analyzing the likely impact of their actions and above all, have suspect integrities and intentions.
The idea is not to restrict good quality education to a select few (no matter how noble that selection criteria might be, merit, eg). The main motivation is not the exclusivist zeal, "Ok, I managed to get into an IIT, so now let me try all that I can to make it as difficult for others as possible - so that I can always show off that holy tag".
The idea is the intense pain you feel when you see how completely incompetent imbeciles with suspect intentions destroying such sacred institutions. I mean, they have already decimated the law and order, administration and everything we collectively refer to as "system". That India is making progress is not because of them, but inspite of them. All the buzz about Indian economy is brought about by private enterprise and the contribution of political class is zilch. Of course we can always say that it was the political class which made it possible for private enterprise to operate but that's no consolation - infact that is something the political class should have done long back.
By all means, do create new institutions of excellence but please remember that it takes a lot more than just pasting the label.
What it would entail is a sustained supply of resources and complete non-interference from our politicos. Dedicated academicians, if given a free hand and sufficient resources can do wonders. The point is, will our political class let them do it?
And the story doesn't stop at infrastructure and resources. No doubt, they are essential, but what makes an institution really great is something more than that.
I have seen teachers sticking to their integrity like zealots, the son of the prof who was the JEE chairman during my time didn't make it to the IIT. I have seen teachers going to great lengths to make students comfortable, understand their problems and encourge them to explore and excel - so much so that whenever I performed bad in his paper, I used to feel such a genuine guilt that I have very rarely felt. But, and this is an important but - all professors in IITs are not like that. There are profs you really revere and worship and there are profs you feel, "Well how come he got a teaching job here". The profs that are worshipped by the students are the ones that make IITs, or for that matter, any institution great. And a very genuine near-crisis IITs are facing is an acute shortage of profs.
My concern is whether we are trying to spread our already scant resources (in terms of quality of profs availabe) too thin?
Another very important point to consider is that any brand reputation is actually a very fragile thing - I mean, it will take just a couple of defective pieces for the reputation of Sony or Mercedes to be razed to smithereens. Hence, we have to be very careful when expanding a brand - a brand that is considered holier than thou by many, across the world. I am not sure, though, if it even occurs to the blokes who are taking these decisions.
My contention is not against creating new engineering institutes of global repute. In fact, my contention is not against creating more IITs - but my contention is against callous decision making motivated by political considerations which threatens to destroy what has been built over so many years.
Create more world class institutes, create more IITs, but for God's sake, don't fool yourself and us in believing that it is as simple as pasting the label - or else, I'd have converted my beat up Ford into Mercedes long back.
The painful part is that people who are making such decisions seem grossly inadequate to understand and appreciate what really makes a great institution; are incapable of analyzing the likely impact of their actions and above all, have suspect integrities and intentions.
posted by Prashant @ 4:29 PM
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