Thanks for your comment above. As you did not leave an email address, I cannot write to you directly.

I have just posted a reply of sorts to your comment in a follow up post: Begging for a world class university — Part 2

I agree with a lot of solid points you make on the stupidity of the government and its overreaching involvement in the educational sector. However, even beyond the government issue,
I sincerely doubt if Indians are capable of building LARGE world class institutions EFFICIENTLY, without external assistance.

While asking for help does not make anyone particularly proud, I don’t see any shame in approaching a university system consistently known for its high standards and asking for administrative, structural and vision related guidance. This is not a begging bowl scenario, in my opinion. Learning from the best and involving them formally and intimately is an excellent idea, and a respectable form of learning.

I was fortunate (relative to most other Indians) to study at an IIT several years ago. These IITs are recognized as having the best teachers compared to many other schools. I believe there was validity with that claim at the time I was a student. In terms of qualifications, institutions graduated from and research achievements, the IIT professors seemed to be relatively better than the others.

In my experience, as human beings most of them were good, honest and decent. It made for a very pleasant 5 years and I am grateful for what I got. However, once you are honest and ask about world class standards, or tending towards them over time, even these better institutions exhibit major problems. The curriculum had absolutely no leeway for open-mindedness and topics that are vital for a well rounded top-drawer education. Liberal arts were not at all present. It was impossible for serious scholarship in a foreign language or philosophy. Credits were too tightly allocated in one major. Rules on graduation were way too straight-jacketed. Real project work and free form research were completely lacking. Formal music instruction was totally absent. Even within the engineering sphere, outdated classes were being held and adoption of what was clearly the future (electronics and nascent computer science during my time) was unbelievably sluggish. Creativity was completely lacking. This was all at the undergraduate level. It does not behoove well for the quality of a graduate program. Is the government mostly responsible for these limitations or the people administering the university? Have the boards of the IIT ever made proposals for funding to broaden the themes and departments and got consistently rebuffed? As pathetic as the Indian government is, educational budgets for institutes like the IITs certainly allow for better allocation of the moneys received to build the components necessary for a world class university. I have seen some massive projects get funding when the money is much better spent on something that could have a dramatically higher impact.

I am a little detached from the ground realities in the IITs or the other institutions over the last few years, but I am skeptical if anything has changed. During high profile alumni meetings, I have asked IIT directors about the mindset I have described and received vacant stares or hasty dismissal. Did this have anything to do with the Indian government? Unless you argue that their very appointment by the government was a mistake to start off with.

I think you have mentioned that you studied computer science at IIT Kanpur. The computer science department in Kanpur had/has a well-deserved reputation of being the best in the country and as you likely know, it was because John Kenneth Galbraith pushed for it early, and personally reached out to contacts from US universities to build up the program so it had sound bearings from the beginning. The birth of IIT Kanpur and most of what was special about it originated from the United States and select US universities. The semester system, grade point average and many concepts are imported ideas that weren’t simply borrowed but actually hand-held and implemented by mentoring universities and visiting faculty, if I trust in what I was told back in my day.

I don’t believe Indian universities are far enough along that with the improved communication methods and additional money available that they could be transformed to a world class institution, completely indigenously. Great centers of learning do not spring-up overnight and utilizing a highly effective and powerful institution in tight collaboration over a long period, is a very practical idea. Getting a person/s who has served as a chancellor or dean and implemented well regarded changes in a great global institution, and positioning them with authority in the Indian university is an excellent idea.

However, I think that driving the contacts at the university level and roping in the government personnel (education ministers and the like) only for legal issues, if any, is a valid way to proceed. Has any IIT director or board member attempted to do this in a smart way, nailing down something smart and then presenting it to the government for its approval or budget assistance? For a start aren’t the courses offered, credit allocation and flexibility in pursuing a major, completely within the hands of the university personnel? What the heck have the IITs done in this regards in 40 years?

Also Atanu, is there a restriction on creating a private university in India? Are their laws preventing a private entrepreneur from investing hundreds of crores and creating and staffing a university with professionals of excellence and charging tuition deemed as appropriate?

Aditya

Not just this pundeswari devi, each and every hrd and education minister should be stripped of all their official trappings and charged with treason.

Keeping indians uneducated have ensured that a MINING BUSINESSMAN has been made MINING MINISTER in Karnataka!! Especially at a time when the last government fell due to the squabble over who will get the mining ministry!!

Its likely that in the next few decades our confidence will return and the last vestiges of our unfortunate past will be erased.
BTW, its in the interest of our rulers to keep us backward so dont expect anything worthwhile from them.

Are you referring to the endowed professorship at Cambridge? I have written about it. See Wasting Public Money.

She would have thought that it will please her master i.e. Arjun Singh or here is an opportunity to travel abroad.

I suspect something wrong with IAS training. It looks like IAS offices (especially older genration) were brainwashed
to think that India can not do anything on their own. They must be reminded it is IAS not BAS.

What do you think about Manmohan Singh establishing a chain in Oxfor University?