The positive feedback over the last two posts of this series just inspired me even more. That's why, it took longer as I poured myself even more carefully on this one to make it even better.
So, back to the task at hand. One of the major criticisms that the IIT is subjected to is in the area of higher research. Despite boasting such an experienced fleet of lecturers and professors, IIT lacks the cutting-edge research that make an institute stand out on the global scale. MIT's Engineering department itself produces more research papers than all IITs combined.. Then how do you expect these institutes to be world class. As per the HEEACT – Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities, no Indian university, leave alone the IITs, feature amongst the top 50 Engineering institutes. After all, if the faculties themselves are not the pioneers in their fields of research does it not affect the overall quality of the institute?
However, you cant totally blame the IIT's for this thing. The funding they receive, despite being lavish by indian standards, does not suffice enough to encourage more and more research..
What's the result? The Post Graduate degrees given by the IIT's dont count for that much of a value on a global level. Secondly, leave alone international students, they fail to attract even the brilliant undergraduate brains from the IITs themselves to pursue higher technical studies in the same institutes. Its no wonder that most of them either shift to management field (read IIM) or fly away to earn their fortunes abroad.
(Once again, the social scientists and heralds of "Indianism" jump on the stage and cry over this "Brain Drain". Such people blame the students for 'ditching' their nation. Great!)
Add to this the fact that no Indian ever since C.V Raman in 1930 has ever won the Nobel prize for any of the Sciences.
Those who once again shout their lungs out with the names of Dr. Khurana, S.Chandrashekhar and the newer V.Ramakrishnan should shut up, because all of these did their research work in Foreign universities.. I know it wasnt in Engineering, but IIT also have courses in core sciences.
On the other hand Harvard University and Columbia University boast of 45 and 96 Nobel Laureates which were associated with them, respectively.
It takes nothing but a glance at facts to establish the pathetic state of research in our country.
Even more so, when we observe that the so "prominent" IIT's fare no great deal better.
More to follow..
Waiting for your feedback.
KISS ;)
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J
Posts
Very true, and add to that the fact that there is a School in Brooklyn, New York, which since it's inception boasts of some 10 odd Nobel Laureates. Not an institute of higher studies, a simple high school.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is that leave alone funding, we as a nation lack the temperament required for research oriented universities and institutes. Our students do not want to do research, they just want a high paying job and that is the end of it.
Even in our schools! You and I were in Vidyasagar, one of the better schools of Indore. I don't recollect more that a couple of teachers who encouraged us to think outside the box. That is where we need to work on.
Ahha! You definitely didn't fail to make this post even better!
ReplyDeleteWell said that some people REALLY blame those who prefer getting education abroad! The post was completely informative.. well done! :)
@Harsh- I agree to your points completely. The pathetic state of research in India is a very large topic in itself..
ReplyDeleteThis 1 is strictly about the IITs.. That's why restrained from venturing out of that..
@A Non-stop Dreamer- Thanks :)
Thank you both for your feedback..
The 2008 topper Shitikanth's said he will move to MIT or any other research institute as he is interested in research. I have read an article after v ramakrishnan won the prize that he was also an iit aspirant but he failed, had he been selected who knows india may have lost one more nobel prize :D
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