The Higher Education model in India is broken. And this time, it is NOT the governments fault. The Research model is broken as well. And this is not the fault of academicians.
Elitist colleges like the IIT need to course correct. Not because what they are doing is wrong. But because it doesn’t meet the national need that they derive their funding from.
The IITs were configured based on a design by Lord Wavell, Viceroy of India in 1943. Nehru put his letterhead to that report. The idea was not to create an Institute of global fame like Nalanda or VikramShila but to create a local, cheaper, export capable version of MIT. And this is exactly what the IITs have done. They are Indian Institutes of Foreign Technology. The books are written by foreign professors. The syllabus is copied from foreign universities. The courses are taught by foreign returned faculty. And students study with an objective of getting a one way export ticket. Never to return.
And the elitist colleges shun all others. The gates are locked for deserving poor students who cannot afford the coaching classes or don’t have the benefit of educated parents. The reservation system of the IITs is what has saved the IITs. The college population has to reflect the country. And reservations do just that. Reserved category students rarely go abroad. Many join the public sector or civil services. A very significant part of the contribution to India from the IITs comes from the reserved category students. The other success story is the PhDs produced by inter-disciplinary departments. I administer the largest database of IIT Alumni on the planet. I can see the numbers. Accurately.
One of the failures of the IIT system is not being able to implement reservation in faculty. Distinguished alumnus awards are heaped on foreign professors of D-grade foreign universities as they offer visiting faculty opportunities which are dollar denominated.
But on the positive side, the IITs offer a very low cost option. It is frugal education. Or course the student hostels are worse than a slum. And if I had to go back to staying in my hostel room today – I would wonder how I managed to live there in the first place. The labs are obsolete, the buildings dilapidated, the students mostly poor and uncomplaining.
This needs an urgent pivot.
And this is possible.
The considerable ecosystem of the IITs have to opened up to every deserving student in the country. ONLINE.
Any meritorious student anywhere in the country should be allowed to pursue studies like any resident student. And be entitled to a degree from IIT if his exam performance so justifies. The NEP actually allows this.
The private universities have failed miserably in providing good quality engineering education at an affordable price. Brands like Nalanda and VikramShila have the potential to be far more powerful than those of the IITs.
And the private sector should be allowed to revitalise them.
Starting with Vikramshila.
