article published in Renaissance
" Research should not be the main focus of IITs!!"
-Sujoy Neogi
The IITs have succeeded in producing best undergraduates in the world .The reason is the rigorous entrance exam each applicant has to go through which in turn ensures only the best of the best can survive. The fact that many of them have gone abroad and established themselves as entrepreneurs has benefited the IITs immensely either in terms of their contributions or the enhanced image of IITs in the world.The IITians have contributed to the Indian software industry but India holds an advantage in services sector which it does not have in manufacturing sector, not even in computer hardware. The same success is difficult to replicate in case of M.Techs and PhDs as was done in case of undergraduates because of the structure of Indian industry which does not produce technologically innovative products and does not focus much on R&D and the number of foreign companies outsourcing their R&D is far too less. Further those students only, who don’t have any other option accept the dual courses offered by IITs. The idea to retain students for high level research won’t be that rewarding as only some of the students would be willing to devote their life to research. It must not be forgotten that IITs offer best international placements and that is what attracts host of the students. The high quality research work without the backing of equally advanced companies would be useless and unfortunately India does not have pioneers in industry leave alone Biotech-Pharmaceuticals. The IITs should instead increase their student strengths in B.Tech courses as the number is too small for a country as big as India and more importantly many students who are not absorbed into IITs are more or less equally competent as their fellow IITians are. Further in a world where the future lies in free trade why not import IITians when the Indian companies cannot retain them! Why start new kinds of protectionism by forcibly retaining the IITians making them do research in India. Just imagine what Vinod Khosla would have been had he stayed in India and what IITD would be without his $5 million contribution. In today’s world any measure to control the aspirations of people would be a Ruthless measure and same is the case with the great IITians.
-Sujoy Neogi
The IITs have succeeded in producing best undergraduates in the world .The reason is the rigorous entrance exam each applicant has to go through which in turn ensures only the best of the best can survive. The fact that many of them have gone abroad and established themselves as entrepreneurs has benefited the IITs immensely either in terms of their contributions or the enhanced image of IITs in the world.The IITians have contributed to the Indian software industry but India holds an advantage in services sector which it does not have in manufacturing sector, not even in computer hardware. The same success is difficult to replicate in case of M.Techs and PhDs as was done in case of undergraduates because of the structure of Indian industry which does not produce technologically innovative products and does not focus much on R&D and the number of foreign companies outsourcing their R&D is far too less. Further those students only, who don’t have any other option accept the dual courses offered by IITs. The idea to retain students for high level research won’t be that rewarding as only some of the students would be willing to devote their life to research. It must not be forgotten that IITs offer best international placements and that is what attracts host of the students. The high quality research work without the backing of equally advanced companies would be useless and unfortunately India does not have pioneers in industry leave alone Biotech-Pharmaceuticals. The IITs should instead increase their student strengths in B.Tech courses as the number is too small for a country as big as India and more importantly many students who are not absorbed into IITs are more or less equally competent as their fellow IITians are. Further in a world where the future lies in free trade why not import IITians when the Indian companies cannot retain them! Why start new kinds of protectionism by forcibly retaining the IITians making them do research in India. Just imagine what Vinod Khosla would have been had he stayed in India and what IITD would be without his $5 million contribution. In today’s world any measure to control the aspirations of people would be a Ruthless measure and same is the case with the great IITians.
posted by Unknown @ 10:15 AM
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