The IIT experience

Yes, that`s the point of these pressure cooker schools. There is something like this in Pakistan, called `IBA`. The ideas were similar--put a lot of pressure, then some more. End result is a very tough cookie. These institutes don`t produce thinkers, they produce `do-ers`, which is fine, except if you think that we have a surfeit of `do-ers` who keep doing the same things, whereas we need some creative thinkers who can brainstorm us out of the issues of this century. If you get to this point, then all hell breaks lose. Seems like you are here...:).

What bothers me most is the values that places like this propound. While the Third World, bends over backwards to mimic the Corporate led success of the First World, the thinkers in the First World are on a different planet all together. Which means, we need thinkers as much as do-ers in India/Pakistan. Excellence in obtaining factual knowledge is great, but true genius lies in creative thought.

Rgds

Saima

My understanding was IIT Kharagpur was a notch below the other IITs - Kanpur, Madras, Bombay and Delhi. I was told that the non-teaching staff had a greater say on the campus than the professors.

Back in the 70s, IIT graduates went on to an MBA at IIM and became brand managers at Godrej selling soap.

But then they had sold their souls (and any chance of a normal adolescence) to get into an IIT so selling comes naturally to them.

The food at RK Hall (the graduate student dormitory) was better than at the undergrad cafeterias.

You made the mistake of doing your BTech at IIT-Kharagpur instead of your MTech or PhD.

Quote : ``The classrooms are filthy. There is no projector, no PC, no nothing, just the wooden benches and blackboards that were there over 30 years ago.

The labs have hardly more equipment today than existed at my time.

The engineering facilities are no where near what any International Technology Institute should consider as the bare minimum.``


Inspite of the .001 sucess rate of getting an IIT seat, IITs do not yet produce sufficient graduates who dedicate their lives to India. And it seems to need just about the money to start any engineering college. So why dont we have more IITs, or at least engineering colleges equal to them? Is it the lack of teaching ( since previous graduates have been spirited away abroad? )

#1 by SaimaShah on November 24, 2006 4:59pm PT

The pakis schools produce thinkers of the jihadi sort...

Try going through a list of startups founded by IIT grads...

The two qualities that are instilled in students i.e Humbleness and Hardwork are all they need to be succesful.
But i dont understand why are they denied good food and decent environment. With such a successful alumni base, even if the government is not doing anything, the alumni should do. In my B School in Lahore, there s a strong tradition of alumni classes donating to build a class room or a lab with all amenities and maintaining it. Every class has made a fund of its own. So if you visit the school, u ll see planks outside various labs that this lab was built and eqipped by mba class of 99 etc etc.

PAKISTANI HUMOUR

---

This is a joke which appeared in a blog some years back

In a not-so-significant development, Mr. Pervert Mushrough, the Prime-Sinister of Pakistan, has announced that Pakistan is going to establish Institutes of International excellence in the lines of IITs (Indian Institute of Technology). Lamenting that India has forged far ahead with its core competence in IT (Information Technology), Mr. Mushrough stressed the need to develop Pakistan`s inherent strength in IT (International Terrorism) as well. To be known as PITs (Pakistan Institute of Terrorism), these centers will impart Training in bleeding-edge technologies to brain-washed aspirants. Stressing the need for strict quality control, he said a nation-wide entrance exam. called JEE (Jehadi Entrance Exam.) will be conducted throughout the year to identify school-dropouts for this unique program. Mr. Pervert was hopeful that these Institutes will meet the long-standing demands of domestic IT companies like LeT and JeM.

Interesting that the facilities at IITs are of such pathetic standard. I had thought these IITs would be something like LUMS which is more on the lines of MIT as far as facilities are concerned. But it is indeed commendable in the characteristics these produce in their graduates which appear more geared towards a competetive vocational environment than nurturing creative thought. But still ... quite an achievement.

Oh ... just saw #1 by SaimaShah. That`s what I mean and she pretty much sums it up. I guess this is why even in the IT field, the creative software designers are all from Eastern Europe, particularly Romania. It must be their educational system which places creativity over competition as priority.

And yes Saima, IBA does NOT produce thinkers. Our current PM is an IBA graduate... so we all know that.

But you`re one too ... isn`t it? Guess they didn`t work hard enough on you ... couldn`t sterilize your `thinking` germ.

#4
[The food at RK Hall (the graduate student dormitory) was better than at the undergrad cafeterias.]

Ama yaar, that`s not a grad student dorm, unless they made it so later!

Darn, darn, darn!

What will they do next?!! Start putting in the women there too?!!!

Darn, darn, darn!

#11 by bjkumar on November 25, 2006 4:57am PT

{#4
[The food at RK Hall (the graduate student dormitory) was better than at the undergrad cafeterias.]

Ama yaar, that`s not a grad student dorm, unless they made it so later!}

Oops, RP Hall! My bad!

{What will they do next?!! Start putting in the women there too?!!!}

Women? I believe the general term of reference is ``she-male``.

so there were three graduates, one from (harimaus) anna engg college, one from MIT and one from IIT. they were asked the same question..how do you reverse an AC motor. harimaus school chap says, you have to reverse the widings on one phase. the MIT grad says you will need to invert the state-space matrix. the IIT (under)graduate who is too busy reading bihari pondies (porn) says ``ama yar just look at the motor the other way and close the door behind you``.

Re: # 13

Jang,

That`s hilarious. LOL.

Ref jang #13

[so there were three graduates, one from (harimaus) anna engg college....]

Harimau most certainly did NOT attend Anna University (not engg college, its name has been upgraded though not its faculty nor its facilities). Anna University is reserved for those named Masanamuthu, Sangilikkaruppan, Sudalaikkannu, Tamil Mani, Love King (its Tamil equivalent being Anbarasan), etc.

Three Blind Mice

The piece of chalk caught Rashid on his left shoulder. He immediately turned his head back and faced the front. Dr. Mohanty was glaring, “Would you like to share with the rest of us what’s so funny?!”

Rashid hesitated a bit then finally said: “No, I won’t!”

Dr. Mohanty considered. He felt a low-level surge of anger inside him – he could expel this errant student who was polite but blunt – why couldn’t this guy simply make an excuse or say “sorry”, even a fake “sorry”, so that they could resume with a degree of propriety. There was a bit of impudence that one could associate with this kid.

Yet, a part of him empathized with such troublemakers. This place was a pressure-cooker – it must absolutely be so! After all, just look at the coursework – five full courses every semester plus an afternoon workshop or equivalent lab work every day! Not to mention all those cultural activities – whole night sessions preparing for music concerts, events like the “Spring Festival”, the debate competitions – the you-name-it’s! It was a fine thing that they had to take a few non-technical courses, too – like his. Unfortunately, they seldom took such courses with the seriousness that was due.

Dr. Mohanty gulped. He decided to ignore the infraction.

Rashid felt relieved momentarily. It had been only a routine double-entendre which, in the normal scheme of things, would not have been considered even funny – however, its juxtaposition to some of the individuals now present in the classroom – especially the current lecturer – somehow made it an original and hilariously funny. He had no more power to stifle that giggle than Dr. Mohanty had the ability to make that mole on the tip of his nose vanish.

The mole which was at the epicenter of his current troubles!

For, imaginative as he was, sexual connotations with reference to that anatomical aberration were simply beyond Rashid’s strait-laced imagination – or had been until now! Rashid would never be able to see a mole in the same light ever again!

Dr. Mohanty went back to reading lines of the poem:

“…What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?”

“What did I tell you – it is all about symmetry!” the voice from behind was clear to Rashid but nobody else could make them out. Rashid felt unstoppable laughter building up inside him again. He was afraid that he might burst.

Oblivious to the tempest brewing inside that cup of Rashid’s tummy, Dr. Mohanty continued:

“…And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?”

“Fart” came the whisper from behind. An involuntary “phhhttt..” sound escaped Rashid. Dr. Mohanty cast a questioning eye on him.

“Excuse me!” said Rashid – pretending a guilty plea to an offense which had never really occurred there. Dr. Mohanty resumed.

“…What the hammer? What the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?”

A snoring sound came from the student on his left side. Rashid glanced sideways – just as expected, they were all asleep. All except him and the guy behind!

“…Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?”

“If I were a lamb – I too would pee!” came the whisper again. Rashid forcibly bit his tongue to make himself quiet. His face turned red from the effort.

Dr. Mohanty felt there was something going on but could not quite figure it out or do much about it. Rashid, of course had no clue what would come next – and even whether he will be able to last the whole class. And the guy behind had no clue what the next joke would be – he only knew that there was sure to be one – it just came out of nowhere! Every one of the three principals was guided strictly by his instinctive feel for the present.

A minute later, when Dr. Mohanty had his head down again, Rashid turned his head back a bit and whispered, “Beej, I’ll get you for this!”

Some threats are easier made than actually carried out.