Complex problems AND Simple solutions

I was going through the report submitted by a committed to HRD ministry about reforms changes and new additions to IIT’s. list A few existing colleges will be turned to IIT’s etc,etc But what caught my attention was this suggestion that all graduate level courses in IIT be converted to integrated post graduate five year duration courses for example, there will be five year integrated M.Tech. instead of flagship four year B.Tech and one and half year M.Tech. I think this is a very welcome and practical step.

For one it imparts what IIT’s are meant for .Serious Engineering education for serious and interested Technology students. But there’s more than what meets the eye. It’ll also discourage students who want to do change field and do MBA or IAS. They can well do B.Tech in other engineering colleges and save a precious year .What about students who want to peruse PG courses abroad especially in US? Well now students coming out of IIT’s will all be PG and as such there’s no need for these courses for these students. Some ambitious ones can do that but they would have lost one year to their peers from other engineering colleges. A dreaded prospect indeed ! Come out of a premier technological institute and be still behind by a year to your batchmates !!

This is really a win - win formula. Those who just want to do their base degree as engineering can do that from any other engineering colleges so that IIT’s are spared for only the one who are interested in Technology .Seems interesting!

For years academicians were asking for some restrictions and measures be put on brain drain and non serious technology students in IIT like asking these students to do a compulsory job in India for five years etc sighting reasons like waste of taxpayers money and resources of a poor country. But we did not put these restrictions even during hopeless period of 1970-90 when we had literally no hope for ourselves with the so called Hindu growth rate of 3% . But then putting such socialistic practices may really not be the best option in a democracy .A clear cut policy like this which gives you options will ensure that there is no imposition of frustrating rules while ensuring that real objectives are met .

That’s what I always say .It ‘s all about options!

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