WHY IITs ARE IMPORTANT TO THE NATION?
“The
best higher education is a model and a source of pressure for creating a modern
civil society. This is an ideal not often realized hut is nevertheless a
standard against which to measure national systems”
WORLD
BANK TASK FORCE REPORT:
“Higher
Education in Developing Countries:
Peril
and Promise 2000”
have made a global mark with their high quality undergraduate (UG) education. B. Tech graduates from the IITs have made a very significant impact in various domains. B. Tech degree holders from IITs play a leadership role in Indian industry and R&D organizations. They have also provided some PhDs to educational Institutions (in addition to industry). IITs have created all the relevant ingredients and the best platforms to lead the Innovation and Technology Development movementin the nation.
IITian could ‘think a better solution’ than others because they are more ‘focussed’ towards their goals. They are passionate to look for solutions. The most important thing, it is not brain that makes an IITian exceptional but it is their decision-making and priorities that distinguishes from the rest of crowd.
Their consistent performance assiduously kept up in the last fifty years has
attracted not only nation-wide acclaim for them but provided them international
commendation, which they so richly deserve. What are those features associated
with the IITs that have contributed to their brand as institutes of
excellence?
The
nation-wide examination that the IITs conduct to select die most deserving for
admission has proved to be a significantly effective filter. At one time the
ICS and, later on, the IAS examinations conducted for graduates
in any discipline
throughout the country enjoyed a great reputation. Such a reputation was based
on transparency and rigour of the selection process. No wonder those that
withstood the pressure and succeeded in the selection, from among the several
thousand that attempted, shone as visionary builders of our institutions. They
stood apart as exemplary guardians of die nation’s stability and committed
their indefatigable energy and contribution to India’s economic and social
development. It may not be an exaggeration to state that the JEE, held
for the 12"' grade students, in recent times has perhaps
eclipsed these and a myriad other competitive examinations in its ability to
pick the most outstanding from a very large gene pool. In nurturing the IIT
system with the ablest in this way, the JEE is singularly responsible for
accomplishing the brand image to India. The IITs have thus emerged as a cradle
for India’s future leaders.
The
International competitiveness of the IIT undergraduates is reflected in their
performance at the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) of the USA, an examination
for graduates from all over the world. A comparison of the performance levels
at the GRE between the IIT B.Tech.s and those of the three of the best
institutions in the world is made . In no other sphere have any
of our Universities and Institutes of higher education come anywhere near MIT,
Stanford University and University of California at Berkeley, USA, —
Institutions which rank among the world’s top ten Universities. (A global
consultancy firm, Mckinsey, has reported that they have more IIT graduates in
their worldwide work force than
those from any other University in the world). It is this kind of topnotch
performance of IIT graduates that, inter
alia, has infused self-esteem
and self- reliance in the Indian mind.
Our
endeavor from now on should be to address the question as to whether the IITs
have realized their full potential. Suffice it to say at this stage that, if we
have to pick a dozen technical institutions in the country which have the
highest potential to become the dominant players in a knowledge intensive
society the seven IITs will easily figure among them.
Why do we say that the IITs
have the potential? It is because, whether in original research or in product
design or product development, IITs have often clearly demonstrated their high
level of competence.
Times
have changed and “we stand today
on the edge of a new frontier*'. The world has transited from
industrial revolution and from industrial economy to knowledge revolution and
toward knowledge economy. In this changed scenario, global economies are
getting integrated. R&D is crossing national borders. India, with its large
pool of technical graduates, is confronting new challenges. They are indeed of
a kind that suits India’s genius. There is, therefore, a new opportunity for
India to seize upon. The nature of products of immeasurable economic worth will
henceforth be knowledge- based, requiring minimal capital unlike the
conventionally manufactured industrial products that guzzle huge capital. Here
is where the IITs must have their prominent presence.
How can one define
knowledge economy? A good definition could be that knowledge economy is
characterized by the highest number of the best-trained, productive
individuals. In other words, highly educated, research-oriented human capital
of the creative class would be the bedrock of the knowledge economy
