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What? Research?
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More and more IIT-ians are opting for lucrative corporate jobs. Research is hardly on their minds, says Meera Mohanty
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Photo: K.V. Srinivasan
CHANGING PRIORITIES Students of IIT are moving away from the beaten path
Arun Srinivas, batch of 2005, IIT-Madras, received full scholarships to study further at Stanford, Princeton and MIT. He has turned them down and joined McKinsey instead. "It's a more lucrative option," says Arun "and I don't think I am cut out for an academic or a research career."
More and more IIT graduates are choosing to step into the corporate world instead of taking up research careers. With companies offering up to Rs. 8 lakhs per annum, the prestige of an Ivy League degree and the dream of a Nobel Prize seem to be fading. "It's a normal phenomenon whenever the economy looks up; people move away from research," says Dr. M S Ananth, Director IIT-M.
There is also the fact that fellowships and assistantships at American universities seem to be drying up. But that's not an issue bothering some of the country's youngest and smartest engineers and scientists. "They don't want us, we don't want them," shrugs Vineeta Singh. Having won herself a seat at IIM-A, she is not too worried about the `apps' (applications for universities abroad, in IIT-M lingo).
It is true that half of this year's Masters and PhD students from India at MIT, are from IIT-M. The institute in comparison to other IITs has traditionally focussed on producing researchers and scientists. But the trend has changed; it's been gradual but definite. "Over the last few years the number of IIT graduates opting for a research career has dropped by about 30 per cent," says Prof. T T Narendran, Advisor, Placement Advisory Committee. It's only an estimate, however, and no hard statistics. But the students' changing priorities are beginning to be reflected in administrative and academic decisions.
New timetable
Placements which earlier took place in July have been pushed back to December. According to Prof. Narendran, once students are placed, they tend to ignore their studies, the crucial part being reserved for the last semesters. As per the new timetable, they'll get their jobs later in the academic year. And will also be better equipped when prospective employers come to check them out. With the CAT and `Apps' results out by mid-December, students will be less likely to change their minds about employers they've promised to work for.
There have been other changes too. For instance, IIT-M never invited international companies until last year. This year, Capital One, Schlumberger, Deloitte, Atkins and Price Waterhouse Coopers, among others, have visited the campus, with Amazon as the highest bidder with a job offer at Rs. 8.15 lakhs per annum.
According to graduate student Ankit Tandon, "Professors are now more liberal", allowing and even encouraging students to undertake interdisciplinary research projects. Like applying mathematical theories to economic problems. It's probably only natural, since IIT-M faculty is now enriched with its own old boys who have returned to the country after years abroad.
If pursuing research abroad does not seem like a great idea anymore, doing it here in India seems an even more absurd prospect. First of all, argue Ankit and Vineeta, when few Masters programmes in the country match up to the brand value of IITs, why would they devalue themselves? "A Masters programme here will probably rank lower than the 70th ranked American university," says Ankit.
Prof. Narendran agrees that scientific research has to be pursued at the best place, no matter where. But as Dr. Ananth points out, "While science is universal, the scientist is not. He has a nationality." According to Narendran, there is an unjustified and sweeping dismissal of research institutes and scientific research in the country. "Sometimes we find out from visiting researchers about the good work happening at TIFR (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research), the IISc or even at IITs." In his message to the outgoing students, Dr. Ananth reminded the students of the primary objective of the IITs, in the words of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru: "To provide scientists and technologists of the highest calibre, who would engage in research, design and development, to help building the nation towards self-reliance in her technological needs." Personally Ananth prefers the research component of being a professor where he can change things at his own will. "In a job you don't have that freedom, it's only about the bottom line."
But he'd rather not pass judgment, "each one has to work it out himself". "It's hard to advise," Ananth laughs, "In any case, they look at it as the kindly advise of another generation."
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