Rashmi's article is symptomatic of what ails our higher education system. About 80% of her essay is a cut and paste from one single source to drive home her view, rather weakly at that, about the Indian education system. We can have a thousand institutions of higher learning but till the day we encourage original research and ideas we will keep producing these cut and paste coder coolies or excel sheet coolies.
While the elites in India abhor the reservation system,the idea of reservation is not a bad one-it is the implementation. Reservation should "assist" the lesser privileged student in achieving his or her goal and not "reward" them with it.
RE:Copy & Paste
by arjun on Sep 12, 2007 06:28 PM Permalink
agreed,while there is factor of brilliance or intelligence which is mostly given importance whenever someone achieves something in India-the author misses the greater point-that american and western way of approach is that anyone can make it to the top and achieve his best if there is an oppurtunity and proper system-NOT JUST INTELLIGENCE AND HARDWORK but proper approach.All the education in US is standardised.The fact that US "achieves" so many olympic medals and nobel prizes is more of bringing out the best in every indivudual-its system provides oppurtuniities to every indivudual and does not differentiate based based so called elite and not so elite institutions-it time we stop talking about IITs or IIMs or intelligence.Getting into IIT or IIM is more considered as a prestige rather than any higher purpose or social goal in life by many people.Our goal is make all oppurtunities available to all.Desire and values are greater than brands and so called merit or nonmerit.Like feudalism-our approach has not changed over years.
RE:Copy & Paste
by abbas ali on Sep 12, 2007 06:47 PM Permalink
I agree with u arjun-author focuses on how hard it is to get into IIM.Being in US over last many years-I agree CAT is hard but IIM does not really succeed in accomplishing it goal of creating practical knowledge.Same applies to IITs.There is more emphasis on choosing the best but not on creating the best education system.Thats where IIts and IIms are eons behing harvards and dukes.Just "the approach" as u said.People have to see the both the systems.Even universities like that of Michigan and Wisconsin are vastly built with proper systems in place.Everything is uniform.Forget about comparing with Harvard or Duke which are best in the world-the author should first analyse where IITs or IIMs stand with respect to "other"-(classified as per author)institutions in US and China.Here the emphasis is creating education systems.Cutting edge research takes place even in very small institutions in US but same thing would not even be possible back home because of good versus bad institutions classifications.One can only differentiate who is good and bad based on practical applicable knowledge not on exam scores or how hard the test is.
RE:Copy & Paste
by abbas ali on Sep 12, 2007 06:47 PM Permalink
I agree with u arjun-author focuses on how hard it is to get into IIM.Being in US over last many years-I agree CAT is hard but IIM does not really succeed in accomplishing it goal of creating practical knowledge.Same applies to IITs.There is more emphasis on choosing the best but not on creating the best education system.Thats where IIts and IIms are eons behing harvards and dukes.Just "the approach" as u said.People have to see the both the systems.Even universities like that of Michigan and Wisconsin are vastly built with proper systems in place.Everything is uniform.Forget about comparing with Harvard or Duke which are best in the world-the author should first analyse where IITs or IIMs stand with respect to "other"-(classified as per author)institutions in US and China.Here the emphasis is creating education systems.Cutting edge research takes place even in very small institutions in US but same thing would not even be possible back home because of good versus bad institutions classifications.One can only differentiate who is good and bad based on practical applicable knowledge not on exam scores or how hard the test is.
RE:Copy & Paste
by Jay Badri on Sep 12, 2007 07:25 PM Permalink
Buddy India is behind US atleast 200 yrs.even then IIT folks making inroads into siliconvalley.India is underdeveloped country but somehow IITs are making inroads in IT.Even Bill gates is recruiting them and even he started R&D in india,even google looks for them.Out of sheer talent these geeks r making us proud.Why do want to analyse Indian university system to ours,we need a major overhaul.U see 12th class kid in US and 12th class kid in India,u compare them and who is best.Though US has 200 yrs of advantage,u see our future generation is miles ahead on math skills or their attitude to educational excellence.Even Bill Gates crying hoarse the approach on american education.i can see that for americans they became too rich,for them education is not an an option or only way of survival.For indians they spend more time on education,it is the only option for them to excel,they r still poor,they have an obligation on them excel and conquer the heights.I cud plainly see that our guys r geeks compared to harvard returnee,India is progressing atleast we emphasize more on education,we'll get investment,may be our future generation will get benefitted.Allready one IIIT started in Hyd which as good as anyother Institute in US.As more MNCs leading companies put up shop in india private enterprise will hopefully invest in these universities,dont expect our govt to do such things.capitalism will drive these things.
RE:Copy & Paste
by Sanjay Enselvan on Sep 12, 2007 08:32 PM Permalink
Buddy,we are 200 yrs behind in attitude and application and basics like equality and social responsibility not inteligence or development.Sorry.The above article is by an indivudual who is a product of system and thinking.No surprises.
