The business called Education
Now there is a furore over Jairam Ramesh's remarks of IIT's being glorified. I have to agree with this statement though. Not because I never got admission into IIT considering I didnt clear the cutoff or that I happened to be from a caste that does not get any reservation benefits but simply because I have come across many mediocre people in my life who have also been to IIT.
I have often wondered how these mediocres made it there considering that IIT's have a really tough entrance exam. Maybe its because they just paid more attention than I did at the IIT coaching centres. Or maybe because I spent only one year preparing for the entrance test whereas they did that for four years starting from 9th standard? Whatever it is , it does not speak of a high quality education!
Nowadays there are so many other engineering colleges with as good if not better infrasturcture than IIT's, but somehow in India and abroad the brand name of IIT is bigger than all these other engineering colleges that its impossible for people from such second tier engineering colleges to get good breaks in their careers even if they are talented and more importantly hard-working.
But leaving IIT aside , think of the numerous B-schools mushrooming in and around the country. Now an MBA degre is like the yesteryear BA degree!. It has lost value. And anybody and everybody who passes out of the MBA course wants to be a Manager even with zero or little experience. So if all become managers who is going to do the actual work?? Many of these students are not even fit to be employed but they join as managers and make life miserable for the non-MBA engineers. And seriously most of the engineers in India are already underpaid and they make their foray into fields that have nothing to do with the subjects they studied.
The whole system of education in India needs a rethink and if people at the centre are realising it and trying to make a difference then maybe everybody should pitch it with their ideas to make education more effective in future, rather than play the usual blame game.
I have often wondered how these mediocres made it there considering that IIT's have a really tough entrance exam. Maybe its because they just paid more attention than I did at the IIT coaching centres. Or maybe because I spent only one year preparing for the entrance test whereas they did that for four years starting from 9th standard? Whatever it is , it does not speak of a high quality education!
Nowadays there are so many other engineering colleges with as good if not better infrasturcture than IIT's, but somehow in India and abroad the brand name of IIT is bigger than all these other engineering colleges that its impossible for people from such second tier engineering colleges to get good breaks in their careers even if they are talented and more importantly hard-working.
But leaving IIT aside , think of the numerous B-schools mushrooming in and around the country. Now an MBA degre is like the yesteryear BA degree!. It has lost value. And anybody and everybody who passes out of the MBA course wants to be a Manager even with zero or little experience. So if all become managers who is going to do the actual work?? Many of these students are not even fit to be employed but they join as managers and make life miserable for the non-MBA engineers. And seriously most of the engineers in India are already underpaid and they make their foray into fields that have nothing to do with the subjects they studied.
The whole system of education in India needs a rethink and if people at the centre are realising it and trying to make a difference then maybe everybody should pitch it with their ideas to make education more effective in future, rather than play the usual blame game.
Comments