IITs and IIMs must come under AICTE
TWO AREAS, research and contribution to development where IITs and IIMs have not performed up to their potential and did not figure prominently in the debate about the fee reduction, are examined.
The Minister for Human Resource Development was correct when he said that IITs and IIMs admit the cream of the cream among the students. This remains the main strength of IITs and IIMs — the first institutions in India where students were selected based on pure merit. It is understood all over the world that a B.Tech graduate from IIT has outstanding merit as an individual. But this appreciation does not extend to the research work, degrees and the faculty of IITs. Research journals in engineering in India have very poor reputation and even IIT faculty generally prefer to publish their major works in foreign journals.
The M.Tech and Ph.D. degrees awarded by IITs are treated as inferior to postgraduate degrees awarded in most of the developing countries, including India. Very rarely does an undergraduate from IIT pursue M.Tech at IITs and it is equally true about M.Techs pursuing Ph.D. As a result the students in postgraduate courses in IITs are mostly from smaller colleges.
The faculty of IITs and other engineering colleges are mostly doctorate degree holders from IITs. The outstanding students who enter IITs do not contribute significantly to research and teaching in engineering in India except perhaps as governing board members of IITs.
The attitude of IIT and IIM graduates towards employment in India is exemplified by the remarks of one of the panellists in a television debate that if fees reduction was implemented in IIMs, the graduates will get employment only in Mumbai Corporation. Being employed in the largest corporation in India and contributing to its development is below the standards of IIM graduates presumably because the salary level is lower. One of the leading scientists in ISRO, Padma Shri awardee Ramakrishnan, mentioned that there are no IIT alumni in ISRO. This is likely to be true of major organisations like Railways, airlines, government oil companies and the Armed Forces.
In Tamil Nadu, where IIT, Madras is functioning for nearly 50 years, I have not come across a chief engineer, a principal or a vice-chancellor who had his undergraduate education in IIT. The brightest students who join IITs and IIMs are not attracted by the organisations that are in the forefront in the task of developing India. They either opt for foreign studies and employment or for the attractive salaries of private firms. That such a situation exists even after 50 years is a matter for serious concern. It is doubtful whether the situation will improve either by fee reduction or by more academic freedom.
Lack of competition
Lack of competition is considered the greatest deterrent to innovation and growth. Unfortunately IIMs and IITs in India are given preferential treatment and have no peer review. They are under the bureaucrats of the Ministry and not under technocrats of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). They are exempt from the accreditation process. This isolation has done incalculable harm to the development of these institutions. While the self-financing and other government engineering colleges have started new branches and courses in response to the perceived needs of society and employment opportunities, IITs lag far behind because of their protected status. Periodical review of the courses and branches offered in IITs and evaluation of the research work by peers outside the IIT system is essential to keep the course content updated and to improve the research standards
The Minister for HRD claimed that he has upgraded 18 RECs by simply renaming them National Institutes. It is not clear what are the criteria for becoming a National Institute. Will it not be more appropriate if they are designated National Institutes after the required infrastructure has started functioning? It is hoped that they will not be exempt from the accreditation process and will be under the control of AICTE.
When IITs and IIMs were created, AICTE was not in existence. It is more logical to have IITs and IIMs under the control of AICTE, an independent body specifically created to monitor technical education in India, than under the bureaucrats of the Ministry of Science and Technology. Since AICTE is a technical body and is involved in the affairs of all technical institutions in India, it can also decide on the fee structure without impinging on the academic freedom.
S.V. RAMASWAMY
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