IITs: world standards and Indian realities

Incidentally, the 61st Round of National Statistical Survey states that 41 per cent of the population assesses itself as OBC and that “others” constituted 31 per cent. From these statistics, the following conclusions may be drawn: First, in proportion to their population, OBC applicants should have been about 1,33,000 but barely 45,500 took the test. Just as in the case of the girl child, many OBC candidates are “missing”. The percentage missing is as high as 66. Second, at a little over 2 per cent, the pass percentage of OBC candidates was slightly above average. Apparently, they suffer no intellectual handicap. Three, 40 per cent of successful OBC candidates did not take admission. When 40 per cent OBC candidates have already rejected admission offers, the government’s insistence that 9 per cent more seats be added for OBCs with immediate effect appears strange.

The government contended that it has taken enough steps to raise infrastructure to meet the additional load. Facts speak otherwise. According to convocation reports of IIT Delhi, staff-student ratio was 1:6.8 in 1998. Currently, it has plummeted to 1: 11.7. The number of teachers has come down, because the IIT has not been able to replace many of those who retired. Meanwhile, it has been compelled to increase its intake. If another 9 per cent students are added, the ratio will dwindle to nearly 1:13. All along, the staff-student ratio in IITs has been 1:8 for undergraduate classes and 1:4 for postgraduate courses. The Moily Committee Report watered it down to 1:12 for undergraduate courses and 1:7 for postgraduate courses. Even after this, the ratio overall should have been 1:8. The ground situation is much worse. To bring the ratio to the original level, IIT Delhi alone would have to add 250 teachers very shortly.

The Moily Report doesn’t want IITs to maintain such standards which, according to the Times Education Supplement, have made the IITs “the third best rated universities for technology education in the world”. It has proposed, among other things, “assigning additional workload to existing faculty, within reasonable limits so that there is no dilution” and “amendment in eligibility criteria for faculty recruitment”. Evidently, it’s not interested in maintaining world standards. It is also evident that for the Committee, reservation is more important than world standards. Ironically, the government has not implemented even the watered-down recommendations of the Moily Committee.

IITs had earned their reputation by scrupulously adhering to highest norms. For over 50 years, they have adhered to the rule that any student who, however valid the reason, does not join within the first 10 days loses the whole semester. Classes have already started in the IITs. According to rules, no more admissions can be made this year. The government wants to destroy this important policy.

Now let us go to the important question why there is a shortfall of 66 per cent in the number of applicants to the IIT entrance examination. One reason, of course, is that OBC families are relatively poor. According to the latest 61st Round of the National Sample Survey, only 4 per cent of OBC families are in the top economic bracket of the population. Two, because OBC families are relatively poor, they are forced to attend government schools where, according to the government’s own admission, teaching quality is abysmal. According to the latest report of the education ministry, there are 23,000 schools with no teachers at all while 130,000 schools have a single teacher.

The number of seats in the IITs is around one in 5,000 of the 20 million children who reach the age for entry. Making it then is like selecting the test team to represent the nation in the Olympics. The issue is whether we should have, at least at that minuscule level, merit or politics.

The writer is a former director,IIT Madras