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From: sanjiva@tesla.UUCP (Sanjiva Prasad)
Newsgroups: net.nlang.india
Subject: Re: News Bulletin 3/1/86 (from Kapur@ge-crd)
Message-ID: <347@tesla.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 18-Mar-86 13:47:25 EST
Article-I.D.: tesla.347
Posted: Tue Mar 18 13:47:25 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 22-Mar-86 03:00:25 EST
References: <614@philabs.UUCP>
Organization: Computer Science Dept, SUNY@Stony Brook
Lines: 61

Ali Shaikh writes :
>Kapur@ge-crd writes :
> > According to the Dean of Undergraduate Affairs at
> > IIT Delhi, Prof. Ray, "the Indian government must
> > do something to tackle with this problem... We
> > can ask students seeking admission to the IITs to
> > sign a bond to serve the nation for a minimum
> > period of 10 yers. I do not know how far this
              ^^
Whoa ! TEN years ? And what does "serve the nation" mean ?


> > According to a England-based journal Nature, the
> > ratio of students returning to India after
> > attaining a doctorate degree is only 18%. 
                                         ^^
Pretty low isn't it ? But what about those who return to India after a 
Master's degree ? And how what are the percentages for IIT students ? A lot of 
students studying for doctoral degrees are from other universities / colleges.
Why shouldn't similar measures be contemplated for them ? Please remember that 
University education NO MATTER WHERE in India is heavily subsidised by the 
government ( and hence the country and hence the tax-payer ). 

I feel that the focus on the IITs is much more for the high profile and the 
image they have in the public eye that they are centres of excellence ( myth
or reality ? ) Ditto for doctors. I feel sick when people talk of lack of 
commitment on part of doctors considering they get such a shoddy deal back
home. ( Need a doc (:-) )

>     The honorable professor might not have realized that one major
>     reason the IITs are institutes of excellence is the student
                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^        ^^^^^^^
Whatever that means. As for student bodies at them -- not as militant as in
other univs, but not drastically different: perhaps the only difference 
is that they feel they can *do it*, rather than whine. 

>     body at each of them. A restriction like this may mean that
>     over the long term, those bright students will begin looking elsewhere.
                                                                   ^^^^^^^^^
I want to know how many people join IITs with the express intention of going
(coming?) abroad ? Mostly, people are undecided about the future, or so I 
concluded. Are there any "elsewhere"s worthwhile right now?
   
>     Living and studying in a foriegn country broadens the mind.
                                  ^^           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
No kidding ? But seriously, you'll be surprised how little it really does.
In fact, I've been horrified to see people with prejudices ( racial / political
/ social / etc. ) as thick as a tank's armour while *broadening their minds*.
Well, maybe they would have been worse otherwise ! I've seen some people turn
from vulgar people to better-off vulgar people ( they are fatter and dress 
better ).

>     People who are thus trained are extremely valuable.
> 
>     The Taiwaneese, Greek and Turkish Govt's ask for ?two? years
>     of military service. 10 years of "serve the nation"? Most people
         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

10 years of serving the nation is better than 2 years of military service.
Amen.

Sanjiva.