Jairam Ramesh Criticizes IIT-IIM

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh criticized the quality of research at the government's Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM). However, independent analysis by researchers of the quality parameters of research at the IITs, IIMs and other top Indian institutions suggests that, while they might be improving, the truth is that these premier institutions lag behind China and the developed world.

Also, Jairam Ramesh Criticizes IIT-IIM that there is hardly any fruitful research done at these institutes. An IIT Bombay alumnus, Ramesh also said that the faculty at IIT is too not world class and it is the students who are world class. The statement made by Mr. Ramesh did not go well with various IIT and IIM directors and they called it untrue and unnecessary. A senior IIT Director also said that there is no basis for the minister's remarks and government must encourage researchers and not discourage them like this.

According to analysis by researchers, Gangan Prathap and BM Gupta in 2009, five oldest IITs have the highest average citations for published research papers after the Indian Institute of Science, among Indian science and technology institutions.

According to the government's blueprint for the future of the IITs, prepared by Nuclear Scientist, Anil Kakodkar, all the IITs produce nearly 1,000 PhDs a year, as compared with 7,000 at top Chinese institutions. IIMs although reign in the world of Indian B-schools in terms of research, but their contribution is small in global terms. This is evident from the fact, that India ranks 15 in total social science research output.

Source: Prachi Srivastava (Shiksha Team)
Date: 25^th May, 2011