IIT gifted in a paper bag!!!!

Before i scribble out my own views lets have a look at these.....
http://www.headlinesindia.com/more/index.jsp?news_code=78061

India's first 'women-IIT' being set up in Maharashtra
Even as there is talk about starting new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and increasing the number of seats in the existing ones, a move is afoot to open the country's first all-women engineering and technology-oriented institute in Amravati, President Pratibha Patil's hometown in Maharashtra. Patil, concerned about fewer girl students making it to the IITs, personally talked to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and HRD Minister Arjun Singh about the proposal, which apparently led to the speedy progress in the matter. The 'daughter-in-law' of Vidarbha is also being credited for expeditious sanction of funds for up-gradation of Amravati airport and introduction of three trains in Vidarbha.

First the OBC reservation, then six new IITs and now an all-women IIT. Cudos to India and the Indians. We are going to have a score of IITs in our country within a decade. So that means three times more number of IITians and including the present NITs and other engineering colleges almost a quarter of population is going to be technically "engineer-ed". What a vision!! What an effort to transform the whole country into a supposed factory of IITians. Most probably within a decade no more mid-night oils will be burnt, no more sleepless nights and no more plethora of concepts and questions ringing in one's mind to prepare for the world's toughest undergraduate competition. And with little effort you can get the most "coveted" IIT-brand.

Now have a look at the letters in bold from the news clipping. Our most Hon'ble First Citizen is proud to have expediated funds for the airport of a city in her home-state, introduction of trains in her home-town and now most wonderful of all an IIT in her hometown. Is it same to set up an airport or a train or an IIT?? Let me guess. Mrs. Patil are you planning to re-run for President?? I guess so. Let alone Mrs. Patil. What does Arjun Singh or the Government gain in providing reservations and establishing new and newer IITs or IIMs in spite of country over protests by the very students who are going to be the supposed benefactors of this step??

Just now i talked to my mother and told her about the all-women IIT. She spontaneously responded - "Then it will be easier for your sister to get through." But on second thoughts she says-"But it dilutes the brand." Its a parent's opinion not mine. OK??

Now what can be the only possible honest(if only it is) ambition behind setting up of these institutes? That we want to house more number of world class institutions. Am i right??
Okay, then why doesnt UK start setting up more Oxfords and USA more Harvards?? Why is there a world class university in almost every state or even more than that of US?? Cant they also copy Harvard?? Of course they have better business acumen than us...and they will copy better, i suppose.

Lets go to an average middle class family. For the most elaborate referral i take up mine. I am an IITian. I wanted to be one. But my sister; she always wanted to study arts and go for civil services. Yet she is preparing for IIT. Why?? To secure her career. And also becoz we couldnt think of any other world class institution in India. To study in IIT is a prestige. Better will be to study in Harvard or Oxford; in fact much better than that.
Singapore is copying IIT. China is. Fine. Well done. But is every Indian supposed to be an IITian- an engineer?? Are we never going to have a Harvard stature university in our country? A university which can nurture every stream of studies. Where under one roof we will have research from all fields. I dream of that. Not of an additional IIT.

What i want to say is this:
Leave aside the act of sticking to a brand. Make IITs if the current number is not enough. But not for politics please. If instead of scoring 100 out of 180 you get through in 50, will the brand remain?? I am not saying that those who scored less do not deserve to be engineers but definitely not IITians if you want to value IITians as you do now. Go for other colleges. Let the government concentrate on improving the quality of all colleges. Instead of replicating where you have, renovate where you dont have. Make every university whether it be Arts, Science, Commerce, Medical, Management or Engineering a world class institution; not an IIT. There's nothing in the name. And this is for everyone to understand; the aspirants and the parents.

The IITs have dipped in ranking already. Will diluting it help in any case?? Too many cooks spoil the broth and too many IITs will do nothing but spoil the brand. A new initiative will always pay; only if its original. The concept of IIT paid off becoz it was original. More than required will steal all attraction. Devise new standards for new institutes of national importance, institutes which can house more than engineers only. Make every Indian student dream of studying in an Indian university of world stature; no matter he is good at History or Art; no matter he is weak at science and skipped Maths in his higher secondary.
Let the world know that Indian student community consists of more than IITians who are capable of changing the world.

Fortune and misfortune!!!!

I read an article in newspaper yesterday. It was a small paragraph relating two contrasting events in the life of the author when she feels the difference in which we accept bad and good lucks in our life. One of the incidents was about how once while driving she just avoided a falling tree come crashing on her car. People told her she had been lucky but she maintained her calm and thought that it was only because she was careful that she was saved. On another instance she missed a prize by just a few seconds and kept cursing her bad luck for several long hours. Its often that we tend to forget our good fortune and only count our bad luck.

I underwent a similar feeling a few days ago. Those who know me must be knowing what i am referring to and for those who dont- i got my FT(foreign training-internship) cancelled, my aunt(mausi died after 8 days struggle for her life in hospital) and i caught measles(was hence admitted in the hospital for the first time in my life)- all in the span of hardly 15 days. My friends and family know how much i have grumbled for it. Feeling that i have been drained out completely; that my life has been full of misfortunes...i even began counting them once recollecting the last few yrs and when i failed to find any major one convinced myself that however trivial they were they had affected my life in a major way.

Yesterday i wondered was not it the same attitude...the natural human behavior to remember of the times when you were hurt and not when you hurt someone or may be you were saved. Science says that our brain has a tendency to forget the bad and remember the good. I wonder if it is so. Have you ever fallen in or seen a quarrel or just a heated up discussion between two people(even the bestest of friends)? Of course everyone of us has had. At that moment isnt it a tendency to remember all the bad done to you by that person rather than the times he/she has been good to you? We tend to forget the favors coming to us rather than those we might do. I also did the same mistake. Today my life hasnt changed. It is going on as it might have gone even if i had not grumbled. Grumbling helped me on no terms. I still feel depressed to think of all that happened but then its not going to remain for ever. My life has given me better instances to remember and be happy and proud of. I need to cherish them not these!!!! :)