Unbiased view- IIT/IIM World Class?

Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh's comment about the IITs and IIMs about the quality of Research or faculty needs introspection. That there is a ready market for such students in the employment market with six digit salaries, but under what benchmark we have determined that these instructions are world class. Was there a comparison done with world class institutions or the basis on which they are classified as “world class”. The GoI can claim it as “world class” but let them the parameters analyzed to term these institutions as “world class”. They may be the best institutions in our Country. Who has given them the ‘world class tag?

Compared to the other institutions, where does the world class superiority of these institutions lay? It is true that the Indian middle class with affordability tag could easily get into one of the IITs or IIMs. Globalization brought in its wake a number of opportunities, and the biggest fall-out of its reach was on the middle class who made the maximum advantage out of it via these institutions which were the channels to get into big league. Bank and Government/Insurance jobs which were the aspirations of the upper middle class ; but come globalization, the spur of elite jobs in the Private sector which vied with one another to grab a prospective employee from one or the other IIT/IIM, made these young men/women troop to these institutions. An IIT or IIM became a status symbol. It was a platform for a good job with high pay. Now this demand for a seat in the IIT/IIM has necessitated competition for getting seats, not because these institutions are world class but the preference the students get at the end of his curriculum for a posting in a Multi-national Company posited in India. .

Many people have obtained degrees and are talented, but fail to make an impression on these who are in the recruiting desk of the Private sector companies, because they do not take the glazed certificates of IIT/IIM. Is the “World class” status conferred, or was it arrived at against strict parameters of comparison with world class institutions

The world class tag comes into discussion, because we assume that these institutions are world class, and the best education is available in these institutes and no where else in our country. Other educational institutions pale into insignificance, when these IITs/IIMs are called “Centres of Excellence”. But where is the excellence, except the students of IIT/IIM get preference for Private sector top jobs not because they had world class education but selected because the employers assume IIT/IIM are world class. It is in this context that we have to take the status of our institutions, and try to make them unique. Vishwabharati University became something special because its founder was Rabindranatha Tagore. Similarly Indian Institute of Science owes its popularity due to Dr.CV Raman connection.

The problems of these “world class” institutions like IIT/IIM are similar to the one faced by other educational institutions in the private/public sector. Quality of Research, availability of opportunity for research, faculty shortage, overload on teaching responsibilities, the strength of the batches which are unwieldy, government interference, etc. World Class institutions need functional and financial autonomy to chart their course!

We need innovation, course-correction intechnological development, up-gradation of technology, slowly diminishing the obsolete technology, cheap technology, clean technology. What is India's contribution to Reserch and Development and Crores of Rupees spent on Reserch institutions. IIT/IIM's should produce students with scientific temper, and innovation centric. That is what growing India wants. Not speeches. Papers.

There have been good set of professors in the various instructions in India. They may have vast knowledge, and the field on which they teach. They may also be great teachers. They may be easily approachable. They may have analytical power. But where does Indian teaching stand in front of foreign educationalists who are well known, who have trained a number of illustrious people who have won world class credentials. There may be individual brilliance- one Kalpana Chawla, A R Rahaman, Sabeer Bhatia, Indra Nooyi, Amratya Sen, Mittal, Sam Pitroda, Dr Ramakrishnan, Nikki Randhawa Haley (Louisiana Governor) etc ( a sample and not exhaustive) that took them to surfeit of glory. Dirubhai Ambani did not study in any world class institutions. Individual abilities transform them to greatness, which happens in every spheres of life.



In India, debates are made controversial so that discussions on some issues which needs wide ranging comments, and suggestions are nipped in the bud. Debates need to be non partisan, meaningful. India had an institutional legacy left behind by Britishers. We had shut our doors for almost half-a century from the rest of the world. We do not have any clue regarding what is world-class in the modern global context. We export goods calling them world-class when the goods are meant for the lowest retail shops. Compare our exports of US $ 245 billion with China’s $ 3.6 trillion. Higher education, specialized education, with world-class systems and environment flourished much before they did in India. In Indian context mastery in teaching is considered to be part and parcel of much achieved institutions while cutting- edge research, innovation is given growing importance for Schools of Excellence in the developed world.



We need to analyze the issue objectively, without prejudice, and analytically so as to make these institutions “world-class” , instead of criticizing those people who make a discussion point as being political and biased.