IIT and IIM graduates follow Goebbels!
If you scan through the media in India, you will be lucky to escape lascvisous praise for the IIT's and IIM's. These twin institutions take in a minuscule percentage from the lakhs of people that apply to be admitted. They are almost fully funded by the government of India and the student fees are heavily subsidized, despite the majority of students being from the middle class to upper middle class who can afford the fees, and despite them being assured of landing jobs with astronomical salaries.
Pre-liberalization,a majority of IIT'ians never stayed in India to take up a job here, in the public or private sector. They went abroad and lived there, after they completed their post graduate education there. It is only now that India is a growth story, that IIT'ians have suddenly discovered India and are returning in droves.
Who drove Indian indsutry in all these years? Graduates from Regional engineering colleges, private colleges and some notable IIT'ians like Narayan Murthy who came back during this difficult period to work in India or some who never went abroad (like my father in law, who chose to work with poor rickshaw wallahs in remote Maharashtra, after finishing his IIT and IIM education).
But the number of square inches devoted to the praise of these twin institutions would make you believe that they have single handedly made India to what it is today. One IIT alumni was quoted as saying there was no "alternative" to IIT in India!Perhaps he needs to be explained that the lakhs of software engineers in India today are not IIT products but alumni from Regional and Private Engineering colleges. They are the engine of India's software growth story- not IIT's and IIM graduates!
Don't get me wrong. I have the respect they deserve for IIT, IIM's and the contribution of some of their alumni. But the fact is that the majority of these have chosen to lead selfish lives, despite getting subsidized education from the Indian taxpayers. The fact that they are NOW coming to give back (like for the pan-IIT conference in Mumbai, where IIT'ians are debating nothing less than bringing a revolution of development in India and doing that using their "superb organizational skills") is a case of too little and too late.
IIT, IIM alumnus's Goebbels like propaganda, spreading falsehoods about the extent of their contribution to India's growth story needs to be urgently corrected. Someone needs to ask them a question- where were you when India truly needed you?
Update: Today morning, I was surprised to read the following news article in the Sunday Times of India which quotes President APJ Abdul Kalam Azad, titled " IIT value addition low- Kalam" and echoes the exact sentiments I have expressed above . In a dressing down to IIT'ians the President said "Almost 20 million children are born in India every year and 1% are admitted to IIT.They are the best in India; value addition by IIT is very low. IIT takes the best and delivers the best. However, direct benefits for the nation in terms of knowledge products and intellectual property is low (emphasis mine)" he said, addressing 4000 IIT'ians from 20 countries.
Pre-liberalization,a majority of IIT'ians never stayed in India to take up a job here, in the public or private sector. They went abroad and lived there, after they completed their post graduate education there. It is only now that India is a growth story, that IIT'ians have suddenly discovered India and are returning in droves.
Who drove Indian indsutry in all these years? Graduates from Regional engineering colleges, private colleges and some notable IIT'ians like Narayan Murthy who came back during this difficult period to work in India or some who never went abroad (like my father in law, who chose to work with poor rickshaw wallahs in remote Maharashtra, after finishing his IIT and IIM education).
But the number of square inches devoted to the praise of these twin institutions would make you believe that they have single handedly made India to what it is today. One IIT alumni was quoted as saying there was no "alternative" to IIT in India!Perhaps he needs to be explained that the lakhs of software engineers in India today are not IIT products but alumni from Regional and Private Engineering colleges. They are the engine of India's software growth story- not IIT's and IIM graduates!
Don't get me wrong. I have the respect they deserve for IIT, IIM's and the contribution of some of their alumni. But the fact is that the majority of these have chosen to lead selfish lives, despite getting subsidized education from the Indian taxpayers. The fact that they are NOW coming to give back (like for the pan-IIT conference in Mumbai, where IIT'ians are debating nothing less than bringing a revolution of development in India and doing that using their "superb organizational skills") is a case of too little and too late.
IIT, IIM alumnus's Goebbels like propaganda, spreading falsehoods about the extent of their contribution to India's growth story needs to be urgently corrected. Someone needs to ask them a question- where were you when India truly needed you?
Update: Today morning, I was surprised to read the following news article in the Sunday Times of India which quotes President APJ Abdul Kalam Azad, titled " IIT value addition low- Kalam" and echoes the exact sentiments I have expressed above . In a dressing down to IIT'ians the President said "Almost 20 million children are born in India every year and 1% are admitted to IIT.They are the best in India; value addition by IIT is very low. IIT takes the best and delivers the best. However, direct benefits for the nation in terms of knowledge products and intellectual property is low (emphasis mine)" he said, addressing 4000 IIT'ians from 20 countries.
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