Follow this thread to know what happens in the hallowed corridors of the IITs, the triumphs and travails.
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This article is written by Ajitesh Singh, Anish Gupta, Deepak Dilipkumar, Junapudi Mrudula Raj, Krutika Patil, Nikhil Allamsetti, Nitish Sontakke, Pavan Prakash Duvvuri, Prudhvitej Immadi, Sagar Sheth, Sidharth Prasad and Sreesh Venuturumilli
All tied up, with polished shoes, suited to please the eye, only students in their final year can be seen in this neat attired form, gearing up for their interviews, placement assessments and scheduled meetings. While some anxiously await their PPO-results, some wait for the cherished Day 1 companies to open up. We are all too familiar with this elaborate process lasting a whole semester - the placement hustle. However, what is less known in the institute is what happens after the placements. Is all the hype worth it?
Switching jobs
We've come across quite a few stories indicating that our alumni have been quitting their jobs taking up different career paths relatively early after their graduation. This made us look a little deeper and try to validate these trends, and come up with possible explanations. We thus, surveyed the previous three alumni batches relating the issue. Surprisingly, we found out that nearly 40% of the people surveyed have moved from a job to a different field within 3 years, including some who've quit it without even completing a year! After quitting their jobs, apart from moving to work for a new company, people have picked varied fields like Entrepreneurship, Higher studies, Research Assistantship (RA's) and Social Work. Although the fields are diverse, these trends seem to stem from a common source - the student mind-set during placements?
Placement flaws?
About half the students who've quit their jobs in 0-3 years didn't initially plan to leave it, which highlights the uncertainty a student might face after he/she picks up the job. A variety of reasons have been provided when asked about the reason to change jobs/fields. An overwhelming majority who picked up Entrepreneurship, Higher studies, RAs or Social Service stated that they took it out of interest. The statistic that probably stands out is that 50% of the students who switched jobs did it because they didn't like the work profile or that they had a conflict with the companies' values. Others added that they wanted to explore different fields or raise money for their future career paths. In all the cases apart from the latter, it interests us to see why the students took up the job in the first place. While some picked up the job because of the humongous amount of money it was offering, a significant percentage of the people claimed that the job they took up initially was to pursue their passion, suggesting a lack in understanding about whether they were actually suited for the job. Furthermore, there are people who picked up the job only because it was a back-up option or because they weren't sure at that time. Also, understandably, some portion of the people who had joined just to gain experience already quit their jobs. This combined with the rationale as to why they picked up that particular company during placements gives us more insights. A clear majority felt that the particular company was a good-fit. A company's brand value also seemed to also have played a major role in the decision making. Other reasons include the fact that everyone else was eyeing the job.
The Glamour Jobs
Most seniors are well aware of the attention consulting and finance jobs have been getting in the past few years. The Day-1 hype is mainly due to the high-paying non-core jobs and most of the students see them as their 'dream jobs'. As mentioned before, a company's brand value, the fact that many students are eyeing for the same job and the compensation being offered, play a role for students to take up such jobs, thus setting these job opportunities very lucrative for the students. From our Senior Survey Analysis of the batch of 2013, we learnt that almost 30% of the batch is going into consultancy and finance. It indeed is surprising to see such a statistic for one of the country's best technological institution. Turns out, such a trend prevails in premier universities like Yale and Harvard too, where more than a quarter turn towards the Wall Street for their employment. From the current survey there seems to be a significant drop in that regard-9% of the UGs surveyed, probably indicating the switch to other jobs or career paths. The possible disinterest in work-profile, figuring out their passion, or wanting to be their own boss could be few reasons why people are heading out of their job. We have also come across various opinions where people said that they would have pursued "core" fields if there had been more opportunities to do so. The general opinion that students are more likely to take up non-core jobs may be true, but it is possibly due to the lack of lucrative opportunities in core, and not an inherent disinterest in the fields themselves. But then again, we can see the role that competition plays here. Student goals might just be dictated by achievements which are in turn dictated by societal expectations and probably not what they might be 'wanting' to do, which can be inferred from the fact that people are switching fields to pursue their passion.
A Job will do
More often than not, students view the placements as a source to just secure a job, which means there is some form of an assurance or guarantee. This leads to fact that students would want to get placed the earliest, making students pick up jobs that they might not be as interested in the actual work-profile
More
Understanding on the Jobs
At first sight it seems like the mindset of the student seems to play a critical role in the game at hand. Although it is quite natural for people to change jobs, the percentage of those who did so in the first 3 years seems to be quite high. There are a few who did plan to quit either for exploring or for raising money for later career switches, at many instances to entrepreneurship. But the rest did not plan to shift this early. And here we suspect we need a student who is more aware of the options, his ambitions irrespective of what others are aiming for. A placement process should be conducive for such choices. Slightly more than 50% of the respondents who changed jobs seem to think that there are issues with the placement process. One of the most important take-away is that we need to understand the requirement of a placement process where more informed choices are made. We can understand that there are a few who'd want to experience working in different sectors, but the placement process must ensure that this doesn't stem from the lack of information or a thorough understanding of the job in the first place. Also it can be inferred that there are quite a few who thought they'd be a good fit for the job or took it mainly because of its package and brand value. The institute has come up with new initiatives like the deferred placement which can be useful to many students, looking at the rise in entrepreneurship in the institute. A student needs to explore all the available options all the more carefully based on what he'd rather do later on; weighing the options; interacting with seniors who've had similar options. To figure out about individual sectors, check out the individual sections relating to each of the career paths.
Jobs
The survey results show that more than 31% students taking up jobs out of campus placements have switched jobs at least once in the past 2-3 years. 35% of the respondents switched their jobs even when they felt that those jobs are a perfect fit for them during campus placements citing different reasons such as increased compensation and experience in a new sector/field. This result has a greater reverberation and tells more about the mentality of the student community who often fail to take an informed decision at the time of graduation which could be due to many reasons, one being lack of avenues which facilitate students to talk to people in particular industries. We also asked our survey participants about the possibility of switching jobs in the near future, and we found that 50% of the people are thinking of leaving their current job.
Of the 2012 batch passouts, 55% of the people intend to change theirs while 35% are unsure of their decision. Such numbers point out to a trend that many people are shifting jobs even before they complete their first year in the company. Entrepreneurship The survey on the current entrepreneurs shows that 3 out of every 4 have previously worked for a company, all of them for a period ranging between 0 - 3 years. While most of them did so with the intent of gaining experience in the industry, a few do it either to raise funds for their future ventures, while others were not sure that they'd ever start up at that time. Also, a large majority of the people who've started their own ventures coming out of jobs had pre-planned their future shift and 54% of them made this shift just out of zeal to pursue their passion, indicating that the dream 'to become their own bosses one day' are more often than not, born within the hallowed provinces of IIT Bombay and that our institute is indeed doing well enough to nurture the entrepreneurship culture. This also in a way explains the short term job quitting trend; they want to build their own companies. However, it seems a bit astounding that every 3 out of our 4 entrepreneurs have their start-ups in the non-core sector, especially considering that they have the best technological institute in the country as their alma mater.
When it comes to being happy and satisfied with what one is doing, among the people who've shifted, it is clearly seen that the shift has increased the overall happiness quotient. It suggests that entrepreneurship in general is more satisfying and pleasurable. Among the other category, the ones who've got their hands dirty with entrepreneurship right after graduation, every 4 in 5 said they wouldn't have changed their minds, even if they're given their dream jobs during placements which suggest that there exist a few 'born entrepreneurs' as well. Also, for 67% of them, their dream was born right inside the institute campus and a huge majority of them think that their entrepreneurial experience will come handy in the long run. Things like 'deferred placements' are further offering a safer option to our budding entrepreneurs cultivating healthy entrepreneurship culture.
Higher studies
Some of our respondents moved from a job to higher studies. Most of them wanted to get a flavour of what it's like working in the industry, to judge themselves on being fit for a 'job' and to look at how things are on the other side before applying for graduate schools. Every second person who has moved from a job to higher studies said they took up a job early on just to gain experience since (s)he had always had an option of moving to a grad school later on. Further, they took up the job just because, well, it seemed like a 'good fit', and finally went for a post-grad school primarily driven by his interests. Among the ones pursuing higher studies, 3 in 5 dream of starting their own ventures primarily out of passion while 4 in 5 think that their post-grad studies will count once they start building their own company.
Miscellaneous
Every 4 out of the 5 people who are currently working as RAs had taken it up right after graduation, their prime motivator being either passion or an idea worth working on. This gives an indication that people who decide to go into research seem to be a lot clearer of the path they want to follow.
There goes our InsIghT into post placement dilemma...
This article has been republished from the IIT's magazine InsIghT
All tied up, with polished shoes, suited to please the eye, students in their final year can be seen in this neat attired form, gearing up for their interviews, placement assessments and scheduled meetings. While some anxiously await their PPO-results, some wait for the cherished Day 1 companies to open up. We are all too familiar with this elaborate process lasting a whole semester - the placement hustle. However, what is less known in the institute is what happens after the placements. Is all the hype worth it?
Switching jobs
We've come across quite a few stories indicating that our alumni have been quitting their jobs taking up different career paths relatively early after their graduation. This made us look a little deeper and try to validate these trends, and come up with possible explanations. We thus, surveyed the previous three alumni batches relating the issue. Surprisingly, we found out that nearly 40% of the people surveyed have moved from a job to a different field within 3 years, including some who've quit it without even completing a year! After quitting their jobs, apart from moving to work for a new company, people have picked varied fields like Entrepreneurship, Higher studies, Research Assistantship (RA's) and Social Work. Although the fields are diverse, these trends seem to stem from a common source - the student mind-set during placements?
Placement flaws?
About half the students who've quit their jobs in 0-3 years didn't initially plan to leave it, which highlights the uncertainty a student might face after he/she picks up the job. A variety of reasons have been provided when asked about the reason to change jobs/fields. An overwhelming majority who picked up Entrepreneurship, Higher studies, RAs or Social Service stated that they took it out of interest. The statistic that probably stands out is that 50% of the students who switched jobs did it because they didn't like the work profile or that they had a conflict with the companies' values. Others added that they wanted to explore different fields or raise money for their future career paths. In all the cases apart from the latter, it interests us to see why the students took up the job in the first place. While some picked up the job because of the humongous amount of money it was offering, a significant percentage of the people claimed that the job they took up initially was to pursue their passion, suggesting a lack in understanding about whether they were actually suited for the job. Furthermore, there are people who picked up the job only because it was a back-up option or because they weren't sure at that time. Also, understandably, some portion of the people who had joined just to gain experience already quit their jobs. This combined with the rationale as to why they picked up that particular company during placements gives us more insights. A clear majority felt that the particular company was a good-fit. A company's brand value also seemed to also have played a major role in the decision making. Other reasons include the fact that everyone else was eyeing the job.
The Glamour Jobs
Most seniors are well aware of the attention consulting and finance jobs have been getting in the past few years. The Day-1 hype is mainly due to the high-paying non-core jobs and most of the students see them as their 'dream jobs'. As mentioned before, a company's brand value, the fact that many students are eyeing for the same job and the compensation being offered, play a role for students to take up such jobs, thus setting these job opportunities very lucrative for the students. From our Senior Survey Analysis of the batch of 2013, we learnt that almost 30% of the batch is going into consultancy and finance. It indeed is surprising to see such a statistic for one of the country's best technological institution. Turns out, such a trend prevails in premier universities like Yale and Harvard too, where more than a quarter turn towards the Wall Street for their employment. From the current survey there seems to be a significant drop in that regard-9% of the UGs surveyed, probably indicating the switch to other jobs or career paths. The possible disinterest in work-profile, figuring out their passion, or wanting to be their own boss could be few reasons why people are heading out of their job. We have also come across various opinions where people said that they would have pursued "core" fields if there had been more opportunities to do so. The general opinion that students are more likely to take up non-core jobs may be true, but it is possibly due to the lack of lucrative opportunities in core, and not an inherent disinterest in the fields themselves. But then again, we can see the role that competition plays here. Student goals might just be dictated by achievements which are in turn dictated by societal expectations and probably not what they might be 'wanting' to do, which can be inferred from the fact that people are switching fields to pursue their passion.
A Job will do
More often than not, students view the placements as a source to just secure a job, which means there is some form of an assurance or guarantee. This leads to fact that students would want to get placed the earliest, making students pick up jobs that they might not be as interested in the actual work-profile
More Understanding on the Jobs
At first sight it seems like the mindset of the student seems to play a critical role in the game at hand. Although it is quite natural for people to change jobs, the percentage of those who did so in the first 3 years seems to be quite high. There are a few who did plan to quit either for exploring or for raising money for later career switches, at many instances to entrepreneurship. But the rest did not plan to shift this early. And here we suspect we need a student who is more aware of the options, his ambitions irrespective of what others are aiming for. A placement process should be conducive for such choices. Slightly more than 50% of the respondents who changed jobs seem to think that there are issues with the placement process. One of the most important take-away is that we need to understand the requirement of a placement process where more informed choices are made. We can understand that there are a few who'd want to experience working in different sectors, but the placement process must ensure that this doesn't stem from the lack of information or a thorough understanding of the job in the first place. Also it can be inferred that there are quite a few who thought they'd be a good fit for the job or took it mainly because of its package and brand value. The institute has come up with new initiatives like the deferred placement which can be useful to many students, looking at the rise in entrepreneurship in the institute. A student needs to explore all the available options all the more carefully based on what he'd rather do later on; weighing the options; interacting with seniors who've had similar options. To figure out about individual sectors, check out the individual sections relating to each of the career paths.
Jobs
The survey results show that more than 31% students taking up jobs out of campus placements have switched jobs at least once in the past 2-3 years. 35% of the respondents switched their jobs even when they felt that those jobs are a perfect fit for them during campus placements citing different reasons such as increased compensation and experience in a new sector/field. This result has a greater reverberation and tells more about the mentality of the student community who often fail to take an informed decision at the time of graduation which could be due to many reasons, one being lack of avenues which facilitate students to talk to people in particular industries. We also asked our survey participants about the possibility of switching jobs in the near future, and we found that 50% of the people are thinking of leaving their current job.
Of the 2012 batch passouts, 55% of the people intend to change theirs while 35% are unsure of their decision. Such numbers point out to a trend that many people are shifting jobs even before they complete their first year in the company. Entrepreneurship The survey on the current entrepreneurs shows that 3 out of every 4 have previously worked for a company, all of them for a period ranging between 0 - 3 years. While most of them did so with the intent of gaining experience in the industry, a few do it either to raise funds for their future ventures, while others were not sure that they'd ever start up at that time. Also, a large majority of the people who've started their own ventures coming out of jobs had pre-planned their future shift and 54% of them made this shift just out of zeal to pursue their passion, indicating that the dream 'to become their own bosses one day' are more often than not, born within the hallowed provinces of IIT Bombay and that our institute is indeed doing well enough to nurture the entrepreneurship culture. This also in a way explains the short term job quitting trend; they want to build their own companies. However, it seems a bit astounding that every 3 out of our 4 entrepreneurs have their start-ups in the non-core sector, especially considering that they have the best technological institute in the country as their alma mater.
When it comes to being happy and satisfied with what one is doing, among the people who've shifted, it is clearly seen that the shift has increased the overall happiness quotient. It suggests that entrepreneurship in general is more satisfying and pleasurable. Among the other category, the ones who've got their hands dirty with entrepreneurship right after graduation, every 4 in 5 said they wouldn't have changed their minds, even if they're given their dream jobs during placements which suggest that there exist a few 'born entrepreneurs' as well. Also, for 67% of them, their dream was born right inside the institute campus and a huge majority of them think that their entrepreneurial experience will come handy in the long run. Things like 'deferred placements' are further offering a safer option to our budding entrepreneurs cultivating healthy entrepreneurship culture.
Higher studies
Some of our respondents moved from a job to higher studies. Most of them wanted to get a flavour of what it's like working in the industry, to judge themselves on being fit for a 'job' and to look at how things are on the other side before applying for graduate schools. Every second person who has moved from a job to higher studies said they took up a job early on just to gain experience since (s)he had always had an option of moving to a grad school later on. Further, they took up the job just because, well, it seemed like a 'good fit', and finally went for a post-grad school primarily driven by his interests. Among the ones pursuing higher studies, 3 in 5 dream of starting their own ventures primarily out of passion while 4 in 5 think that their post-grad studies will count once they start building their own company.
Miscellaneous
Every 4 out of the 5 people who are currently working as RAs had taken it up right after graduation, their prime motivator being either passion or an idea worth working on. This gives an indication that people who decide to go into research seem to be a lot clearer of the path they want to follow.
There goes our InsIghT into post placement dilemma...
This article was originally written by Ajitesh Singh, Anish Gupta, Deepak Dilipkumar, Junapudi Mrudula Raj, Krutika Patil, Nikhil Allamsetti, Nitish Sontakke, Pavan Prakash Duvvuri, Prudhvitej Immadi, Sagar Sheth, Sidharth Prasad and Sreesh Venuturumilli and published in http://www.insightiitb.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/17.2_web1.pdf
The fact that it takes a lot of preparation to get into an IIT is well known. Now that entrance exams are over and the results are also out, you would have queries like how will you survive the IIT? What scope and opportunities' will you have after graduating? Read on to know how to get the best of the next four years and in fact for your future...
There will be a lot happening in the campus both on the academic as well as the co-curricular front. Maintaining a balance between the two is the key to managing stress. The first year is crucial from the academic point of view. It is important to ensure good grades and CPI/CGPA in this academic session. Based on the grades, you shall be assigned guides, professors and partners for your projects. It is assumed that when you do well in the First year you will be consistent throughout the course of your degree.
It is not that big a task to maintain a good CPI/ CGPA throughout the course. Being an IITian your intellect level is not very different from the rest of your classmates but your approach to academics will be the key differentiator. A basic thing is maintaining regularity in attending lectures. It is also important that you study on a regular basis and keep yourself updated. This is most definitely better than last moment cramming which most students usually resort to. Plan your timetable well to ensure that academics are not compromised at the cost of extracurricular activities. A few hours spent in the library is also time well spent.
Failure knocks on the doors of those who spend more time in doing everything else except what will help them develop their skill sets. Missing classes, whiling away time in chit chatting, surfing and playing games will lead you nowhere.
It is not just four years of textbooks and experiments. Extra-curricular activities happen throughout the year and IITs are known for their Fests. Take time out to participate and volunteer for these fests. Managing such fests is solely the responsibility of IITians.
These experiences will help shape your perspectives. The tiny glimpses of entrepreneurship while managing such fests will instil the confidence to have your own start-ups. The array of job opportunities after four years in IIT is also plenty. You have the choice to pursue higher studies like M.S and PhD as well prior to starting your career.
This article was written by @lalit.kumar. He is the Founding Director of Prime Academy, Pune.
Campus placements for the academic year 2014-15 at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) saw quite a number of Global and Indian conglomerates recruiting 1,118 graduates from the institution. The placements were conducted in two phases starting December 2014, for which a total of 1675 students had registered.
Students from Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.), Master of Science (M.Sc.), Dual Degree (D.D.), Master of Technology (M.Tech.), Master of Design (M.Des.), Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programs in various fields of engineering, science and technology, design and humanities participated in the placement process.
In the first phase, which began in December 2014, 240 companies participated and about 1000 jobs were offered to the students. By the end of the academic year in June 2015, a total of 310 organizations had participated with 1118 students being placed.
Most job offers were in the field of Engineering and Technology. 88 organisations offered close to 388 jobs. The field of Data Analytics has been gaining popularity over the last few years and 155 offers were made from 47 organisations. The other areas where placements were offered were Consulting, Financial Services, Research & Development, and Education.
This year many start-up companies participated, including some started by IIT-B alumni. A total of 109 job offers were made by start-ups in sectors like IT, education, analytics, and engineering.
Of the 1118 students, 365 students are being offered a salary over Rs. 11 lakh per annum and 162 between Rs. 9.5 lakh to Rs. 11 lakh per annum.
Disclaimer: This article has been published based on the press release sent by the IIT Bombay PR Office. PaGaLGuY has not made any independent verification of the same and the article has NOT been written by the PaGaLGuY Editorial Team. It is intended from an informational perspective only and it is up to the readers to research and verify the claims and judgements in the article before reaching a conclusion.
Getting the branch you want at your preferred IIT is a luxury only a select few can afford. It is perhaps to cater to students who cannot afford the luxury that the Branch Change rules in IIT Bombay were significantly relaxed in 2011. This article takes you through the various aspects of the policy including its necessity, reasons to think about changing your branch and the factors you need to consider before making up your mind.
What is a Branch Change and why should I do it?
Ever since school, many students are not really pushed to find their passion or niche. In the Indian education system, it's only the marks that seem to matter. Most just appear for the JEE because they like science and math, while being fairly clueless about the nuances of different branches of engineering. Even after clearing the JEE, many face a societal pressure to choose branches that are more "in demand", while most others simply make do with the branch their rank enables them to enter. In a weird Russian reversal, IITians don't choose their branch - their branch chooses them.
In a weird Russian reversal, IITians don't choose their branch - their branch chooses them.
However, IITB offers you a provision wherein almost all your requirements are taken care of (Terms and conditions apply). It essentially gives you the same privileges as those in the American University system where the students declare their major (branch) after spending a year in college. Unfortunately you can't tryout courses to get a feel of the branch before choosing it, but you can always trouble your seniors to find out what their branches are really like to help make up your mind.
'Branch Change-ing' (or BC-ing) potentially gives you the opportunity of re-defining your stay at IIT-B and, in some cases, your entire life. The procedure is your final chance to get into a branch you are passionate about, or to simply move into a stream that you're more comfortable with. In short, this is not a decision to be taken lightly.
Picking the right branch
The most important criteria that one should consider before opting for a branch change is their personal interest in the field. The most common criteria that people do consider, however, are placement opportunities and the potential for higher studies - depending on whether they want to take up a core job, non-core job or research after graduation.
While the JEE rank-based branch allotment makes CSE at IIT-B an object of envy for every student, the trends followed year after year are often misleading (read: herd mentality). Attractive internships and astronomical pay packages blind a large chunk of the students to chase CSE and EE departments without giving a thought to where their interests lie.
Of course, the biggest problem of all is that most students even in their third or fourth year - let alone their first - don't have the answers to many of the questions mentioned above.
Does it really matter in the long run?
Yes and no. There can't be a straight answer to this question unless one is dead-set on the career path they wish to choose after graduation. For instance, if you're a guy who's crazy about machines, robots, cars, levers, pulleys etc. and should, in an ideal scenario, have taken up Mechanical Engineering but have ended up in another branch, then BCing to mechanical might just be the right choice for you. This makes sense not only because you will have the option of becoming a Mechanical Engineer in the future, but also because pursuing your passion is likely to help you enjoy your education - a feat rarely achieved in IIT Bombay. At the end of four years, even if you don't end up pursuing higher studies or working as a mechanical engineer in the core sector, you will still have taken home a tonne of knowledge in the field. Moreover, being interested in one's courses is tends to reflect positively upon their CPI - a number that has far-reaching implications for years after you've left IIT B.
On the other hand, if you're planning to make the move just on the basis of JEE cut-offs, the branch change is far less likely to turn out to be a good move for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, you may not be interested in the topics taught to you in Mech. E. and even though you may not necessarily be a fan of the topics taught in your current branch, you're much more likely to do better CPI-wise in your current branch due to lesser competition. The same competition will invariably ensure that you will have to invest more time on your academics than you would need to in your current branch. In case you're disinterested in both branches anyway, that may be particularly bad for your career in turn. This is because you will end up having lesser time to invest in extra-curricular activities and in any positions of responsibility you wish to take up. In case you're already planning to chase a non-core job, you should know that recruiters take into account both curricular and extracurricular activities when picking among applicants. In no way do we mean to say that you won't be able to manage both effectively.
However, you should prepare yourself for an uphill battle if you wish to make the jump.
This article was originally written by Chirag Chadha, Manasvita Vashisth, Niranjan Thakurdesai, Sagar Sheth and Shreeyesh Menon for IIT-B's online magazine, Insight. Read the original article here.
This article was written by VSM Saktinath Kar, a 1964 batch alumnus from IIT Kharagpur, for their batch's Golden Jubilee Alumni Meet souvenir.
January 4, 1966. After a gruelling pre-training 45 minute interview, the Head of the Department of Armament Training of the Air Force Technical Academy (AFTA) told me, "We had an officer from your alma mater, IIT Kharagpur, who was the best graduate of the four batches of graduates we take every year. I hope you will keep up the tradition." With curiosity writ large on my face, I asked, "May I know his name, Sir?" The bald and bulky HOD, in his deep baritone voice, replied, "Mohammad Sagheer." I was pleasantly surprised. Sagheer, shining in his newfound career, in the Air Force!
My memories swung back to 1962. It was a cold, wintry morning. A slender fog hung gingerly over the IIT campus. Classes had already begun in the Dept. of Metallurgical Engg. Prof. Sen was explaining the intricacies of the Theory of Metallurgical Processes. There was pin-drop silence in the classroom of eighteen students paying rapt attention. Suddenly, the door opened partially, and a voice from behind requested, "May I come in, sir?" The professor didn't take his eyes off the blackboard. "Come in," he said.
In trotted Mohd. Sagheer, in his trademark T-shirt and steel grey trousers, a few Britannia biscuits in hand, apologising profusely for being late. "Hmm... why the biscuits, young man?" the professor enquired, eyeing him quizzically over the rim of his spectacles. "Sir, I was late and had to rush to class. The mess doesn't provide packed breakfast, and the only takeaway item is biscuits. I had no choice but to pick them up," he stated. "Okay, okay. Settle down quickly," the professor gruffly waved his hands towards the benches.
Sagheer parked himself smugly at the rear of the class. Once comfortable, he set out to complete two of his unfinished tasks. First, the breakfast. Stealthily, he popped a biscuit into his mouth, munching face downwards, pretending he was engrossed in note-taking. His only worry was that he shouldn't be asked any questions till the biscuit was fully swallowed. Unfortunately, the professor cracked a hilarious joke to break the monotony. The class laughed out loud. Sagheer too joined in, unwittingly. With disastrous consequences. The biscuit sprayed out of his mouth on to the back of the students in front of him. It was highly embarrassing, to say the least. Unfazed, once the commotion died down, Sagheer moved on to his next task: to make up for last night's lost sleep.
Five minutes before the class was to finish, he was awakened by a soft pat on his back. It was Prof. Sen. "My son, this isn't the way professionals-to-be behave. Your performance in the last term was awful. You've got to pull yourself up. Take more interest. Be positive. I don't find any reason why you can't succeed." Looking down at his notebook, pen twirling in his fingers, Sagheer said, "Sir, to be honest, I wanted to be an architect. My father compelled me to take up metallurgy. I'm not cut out for this." The Prof. was amazed, "And you couldn't reconcile yourself to this reality in all these years? Are you stupid, plain & simple, or are you made of sterner stuff?"
These words touched a raw nerve deep within Sagheer. He thought the world was strange. It had its own logic. The choice of an individual, his likes & dislikes, his heart's longing, had no place in an indifferent and soulless world. The individual had to surrender, sacrifice his soul to the wider scheme of the world around him, unconditionally. But who succeeds when the soul is lost? Isn't such a success meaningless, only pyrrhic? He told himself, "Sagheer isn't stupid. He is capable of giving back to the world more than what it wants, albeit at a cost to himself. If society still wants it, so be it." To everyone's surprise, he scored the highest in the next exam. But never thereafter. He did not betray his soul.
Back at the AFTA, I was apprehensive about Sagheer - whether he found a profession of his choice or not. Years went by. I never had the opportunity of meeting him after completing IIT. From what we heard, he was doing exceedingly well. I was proud to have shared unforgettable moments of camaraderie with him. And then one day I heard he was no more. An unnatural early end due to personal problems.
Many questions ran riot through my mind. Sagheer was different. He wanted to live life on his own terms. Did he? Yes, he did. Life for him was either black or white. There was no shade of grey in his lexicon. Perhaps he preferred black. He had not lost out on life, life lost out on him. A teardrop ran down my cheek.
One of the oldest in the elite group of engineering colleges, IIT- Kharagpur, has received the highest number of applications this year. According to JoSAA records, IIT-Kharagpur received around 2.5 lakh applications which is the highest among all IITs.
This, according to IIT Kharagpur officials is because, one, a wide variety of courses and specialisations are available and two, because the number of seats up for grabs is more than any other IIT.
Each seat at IIT-Kharagpur has attracted some 186 applicants this year. However, only some 107 students from the top 1000 rankers have applied for a seat.
So, what makes this the popular choice and not the toppers choice?
"Top rankers prefer the brand name that comes attached with IIT-Bombay and IIT-Delhi. But IIT- Kharagpur is popular amongst the rest because of the micro-specializations introduced here," said the official incharge of JEE admissions.
This flexibility is what attracts students with lower ranks. At IIT-Kharagpur, a low rankers might not bag a seat for computer science but a computer-related specialisation will always be available.
But is IIT-K doing anything to get the bright ones? "We have improved facilities in the campus, undertaken development projects, a range extra-curricular activities are all in place," said Prof. Manish Bhattacharya, Dean of Student Affairs in IIT-K. "However, the fact that Delhi and Bombay are metros works well for the institutes there," Prof Bhattacharya added.
Rankers from Top 1000 decline IIT seats, while over a 1000 students still await allocation
The Joint Seat Allocation Authority 2015 (JoSAA) has declared a list of students in the top 1000 ranks who will not be eligible for the second round of seat allocation. These students were allocated a seat, which they declined.The seats were allocated by JoSAA according to the order of preference exercised by the students during the online choice filling process, and the availability of seats based on the opening and closing rank criterion.
The students, who filled in their choices in the first round, had the option of accepting or declining the seat allocated to them. Those who declined the seat allocated to them in the first round are completely out of the process. However for those who accept this allocation have three options: Freeze, float and slide. Those who choose to freeze their seat effectively meant they have accepted the allotted seat, and will be finalising their choice. The process of allocation is over for them. The students who are unhappy with the allocation in the same round can either float; which means they can reserve the seat but still look out for a better choice 'across all institutes' or slide i.e. reserve the seat and look for a better option 'within the institute allocated'.
This leaves the students who have been rejected for the second round in a limbo. The reason is because they can now apply only to the state colleges, and not to any of the centrally funded institutes. And that despite being in the top 1000 ranks of the JEE merit list.
The struggle to crack JEE, and get into one of the most prestigious engineering institutes in the country, is well known. The engineering aspirants go through this rigor for two years and in some cases, more than two years. Finally when they do make it to the IIT there is something that goes amiss. Grades drop, and eventually some end up with a letter expelling them, as in case of the 73 students from IIT Roorkee. What is that makes these aspiring engineers go slack? Why do they arrive at this situation that acts as the biggest spoiler in their careers and life?
The obvious was pointed out by a first year student, from IIT-Bombay, Sindhuja.K, "The years we spend in preparing for cracking the entrance exam, it just wears out most of us. And once we make it into the IITs, it is just one big relief. Post that, studies takes a back seat and then the results are there for all to see." IITs across the country have a lot of fests and competitions. These co-curricular activities very often keep the students outside the classroom rather than inside. It is not that it should only be all work and no play, (in this case all studies and no activities) but the students must be able to balance it well. The time they spend outside classroom shouldn't eventually lead them to be shown the way out of college itself.
Does this classroom learning really help? "The syllabus in the first year is important. It is not that all of the classroom learning is only theory. In fact, it is important during the placements and internships that is later offered," said Niranjan Thakurdesai, a fourth year student at IIT-Bombay currently interning with Samsung Ltd. in Bengaluru. This opinion was echoed even by a few other students from the senior batch.
However, on the flip side an alumnus from IIT- Roorkee, Ritika, commented that classroom learning helped only to the extent of imparting basic understanding and doesn't really affect career. "The compulsion to attend lectures and be judged as capable only if you score a certain grade point is harsh. Whatever we learn, gives us the basic understanding, but one learns the complexities on the job," she says. There are alumni who voiced a similar opinion and even took to social networking sites to voice their opinion especially in light of the recent expulsions at various IITs.
"Students need to realize that life doesn't stop right after getting into the IIT. Why would there be classroom lectures if they were redundant? Yes there is a lot of learning that also happens outside of the classroom. Personality, communication skills, confidence blooms when students go out but what about the knowledge of the core subjects that are being taught?" said a professor from one of IITs.
Balance is the key to keep the grades afloat and also have fun. If students understand how to manage both, they can probably avoid the situation of landing up with bad grades. What a lot of students seem to depend is on the brand name of IIT instead of the real know- how of things. This somewhere deters efforts on the part of students and eventually failure knocks their doors. It is debatable if grade points in the first year should be considered as the only benchmark for capability. But then again, it is not entirely neglectable either.
We live in a competitive world where students start chanting the word 'IIT' from the age of 16 and 17. Peer pressure and the craze to crack the JEE, is the only thought looming in their minds and the business of IIT has flourished only by inhibiting this dream in adolescents. Yet, there is a certain class of students who don't see anything special in this prestigious institution. In fact, they don't even aspire to be engineers. This attitude towards engineering seems minuscule today but its virility may pose a staunch challenge to several IITs in India in the coming decades.
At the end of Round 1 of the JoSAA allocations, the authority released a list of 12 students in the top 1000 All India Ranks (AIR) of the JEE (Advanced) Common Merit List who were debarred from participating further in the JoSAA process since they had not accepted the IIT seats allotted to. Upon speaking to them, PaGaLGuY has confirmed that some of these students have joined IISC Bengaluru for a 4-year integrated BS Research degree. Here is an account of five candidates from the list about why they decided skip an IIT seat.
Anjishnu Bose: "I got admission in IISC Bengaluru, BS Research in Physics just yesterday. I only applied for IIT but did not accept the seat because I wish to pursue a career in research and IISC is comparatively a better institute for research. I don't want to be an engineer," says Anjishnu Bose, AIR 26 from Delhi.
Paarth Gulati: Another student, Paarth Gulati from Gurgaon, AIR 915 says, "I chose to go to IISC Bengaluru because in terms of research, it is on par with foreign institutes. I gave my KVPY last year and was given a confirmed seat in IISC in as early as February. The only reason why I gave JEE Advanced was because I have been preparing for it since a long time. I wanted to have a broader band of options to consider before I took final admission in any institute. However, since 8th standard I had decided that I wanted to get into research and basic sciences and not be an engineer. I want to work in a research lab in a prestigious university in India."
Prakhar Gupta: Prakhar Gupta from Ghaziabad, AIR 233 also took admission in IISC and aspires to conduct research in untouched areas of Physics. His ambition is to publish research papers for the advancement of society, rather than simply implementing pre-existing research into new machinery.
Arindam Bhattacharya: Arindam Bhattacharya from Bengaluru, AIR 307 has got admission in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, USA, where he will be pursuing a dual majors in Physics and Electrical Engineering. Unlike the other boys, Arindam was inspired to apply to MIT by his school friends who thought he stood a good chance at getting selected there. Arindam has also won accolades on the international level. He participated in the Astronomy Olympiad in 2012 held in South Korea, where he won a gold medal. In 2013, he attended the Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad in Greece and the International Physics Olympiad in Mumbai and has earned a bronze medal in both. "I had been preparing for my JEE since class 9 and gave the exam only because I wanted to see how well I stood at the country level. I didn't think of it as competition. The JoSAA process offered me my first preference of IIT, but I turned it down because I want to make a career in research." When asked about why he didn't chose IISC for his degree, he said "Research facilities in USA are at par with that in India, but the freedom given to undergraduates in experimentation and exploratory studies is more in the US."
Saim Dawood Wani: While all of the above students forfeited IIT for an enhanced opportunity, there is also a student from South Delhi, Saim Dawood Wani, AIR 817, who is not satisfied with the seat allotted to him. He is considering reapplying for the JEE Advanced next year in hopes to get a better rank and get placed in IIT Delhi in Computer Science.
IISC Bengaluru seems to be a popular choice among most students. One of the benefits of IISC is that it allows students to directly apply for a PhD after their graduation. The provision of skipping a Master's degree lets the students save 2 precious years and achieve a doctor's title at a younger age. What is more startling is that all three of them share a common fascination for research in Physics and wish to travel abroad to complete their PhD. On contacting Paarth, he said that he got acquainted with Anjishnu and Prakhar on campus and was glad to find people who share the same passion as his. Hopefully if they all succeed at their ambition, they could bring alive an Indian version of the Big Bang Theory.
Money, pressure, passion, ambition; several factors sway students' considerations of an institute. But knowing about the choices of these students, it sure seems that the craze for IIT is not as widespread as we think it is. These students made choices that would enable them to fulfill their passion. But what about the the several other students who have been burning the IIT candle in their heart for a long time and were left disappointed after the first round of allocations? The JoSAA allocation process is very complex and creates hassles for students, parents and professors throughout the nation. With these students now out of the JoSAA process, do the others stand a chance to be allotted in an IIT of their choice? Will these 12 vacant seats finally be offered to top deserving candidates? What is even more disheartening for those thousands of students without a seat, is the opportunities lost and the time spent in panic and fear of failure. And at the end of it, they are left with even more confusion and frustration about the entire process of allocations.
"Students have an attitude problem"
"We don't think we'll come for placements this year"
"They need counseling in work ethics"
"We're disappointed in the behaviour of IIT Delhi students"
These are words of HR managers of several top firms that come to IIT Delhi during the placement season. The Training and Placement cell has disclosed to the Board of Student Publication, IIT- Delhi (BSP) that many companies are refusing to come for placements due to the 'negative attitude' of most of our students. Is this what we have fallen to? It seems odd, unbelievable even, that companies, which most of us dream to join, have such negative impressions of our work ethic. The BSP, with help of data from the Training and Placements, tries to look into this grave issue.
A transcript from one of the largest online retailing firms that came to campus, the BSP understands that students have shown a very rigid attitude while giving interviews. Some of them were very adamant that they would give interviews only in a particular time slot, and some did not even have the courtesy to switch off their phones while giving their interviews.
Other cases include students not showing up to work mid way through the internship, without informing the companies. People also tend to not show up for the job, presumably because they already had taken up higher studies, and had just taken up the job as a 'safety net'. Another major petrochemical company has complained that students misbehave with colleagues, and act as a demotivating factor for other employees. Such practices tarnish the image of IIT Delhi for recruiters. In this way, it won't long before companies realise that taking up students from our college isn't worth their effort. This is the exact reason why IIT Delhi's QS world ranking has fallen this year behind IIT Bombay, due to the negative employer feedback received.
Another major issue that the TnP cell feels needs to be addressed is the high number of fake certificates being deposited for verification. In an alarming (and disturbing) case, almost 200 similar certificates, belonging to a certain college fest, have been submitted this year. While this action is laughable, the TnP cell is not amused, as it is a crime to falsify information in CV's, and legal action can be taken against these students, and they might also be debarred from sitting for placements this year.
Maintaining ethics play a major role in deciding the future of a college, and IIT Delhi needs to take a long hard look into tackling this issue.
CPI diversity. Its classification exhibits some amazing ramifications and there are many facets that still remain to be charted. We have thinkers, philosophers, mathematicians, physicists and other professions that are all marked by some or the other particular type of intelligence. Nevertheless, the distribution is never pristine and every human has such a significant share of different faculties that there exists no commonly accepted watertight system to fairly rate intelligence in its entirety. A very popular system for the purpose, followed all over the country in prominent academic institutes and gaining more popularity as days go by, is a student's CPI.
CPI has a peculiar impact on students. Those who are successful with the system tend to extol it as a foolproof system for sifting out bright minds while those who are unsuccessful with it are inadvertently critical of it. While the explanation for the divide in opinion is an entirely different issue, I hereby attempt to present an objective and logical discussion of how strongly reality is aligned along the judgement one's CPI exudes. While there are many criteria that a system has to satisfy for it to be called comprehensive and fair, the discussion begins from the lowest rung and concludes with answering the final question of how likely a student with a good CPI will succeed in their life.
CPI is indeed tenable at first glance. You take certain courses and you are rated against your performance in those courses. So, if a person interpreting it is aware of the narrow verdict that your CPI telecasts, then it is fair. But the opinion arouses a sense of misgiving if this interpretation is extended any further. Alas, CPI is always subjected to such extrapolations. Recruiters invariably correlate your CPI to your expected success or failure at the workplace. However, if you lift your gaze a little further to observe the interplay of more phenomena, this conclusion begins to fall apart. For instance, there are students who are unable to perform in quizzes and assignments but excel at solving real problems (such as course projects) that require a holistic approach rather than the practised approaches most courses preach. But since the weightage of course projects alone is low, their grades suffer. Such a student is bound to lose interest in the age-old game of quizzes and assignments that test your ability to regurgitate information upon request.
The other few reasons that buttress the arguments in favour of CPI are that it's the participants themselves who choose to enrol themselves into the system and hence the onus lies upon them to bear any misleads that it dictates. But if we dig deeper, we realise that there is a fairly subtle trap hidden within this rationale. The admission to these institutes is guarded by exams that are considered the most selective of their kind. But, surprisingly, the same students who prove their mettle in these entrance exams suffer in the academic system in these institutes. So, a doubt that first inhibits you is that CPI caters to a different breed of students than those caressed by competitive exams - a trap many fall prey to. Students are caught unawares by the fact that the ability that got them into IITB may not help them sustain their stay here. They are subjected to a salvo of adaptations to fit the system. In many cases, the misfit is so prominent that their CPI makes their choice to study at IITB look like a rash foray.
Another feature of CPI is its relative nature which is making students make a mad dash for it and develop a blinkered vision in the process. This system of relative grading keeps everyone on a perennial vigil. The incessant need to keep up prompts them to study only that which can potentially improve their CPI - glossing over the depths of their course topics. The urge to understand takes a back-seat, conditional to the availability of time which never comes - again one of the pitfalls of the relative grading system. So, these are perfect settings to drastically reduce your chances of experiencing moments of epiphany which both assuage and stoke curiosity at the same time. It is the competition that drives the system where you ought to be running all the time and not stand still at any moment and make an effort to understand nuances that spark ingenuity. The pace inherent to the system causes students to stay tactical and to quite some extent, robotic in their approach. Everybody realises that when you are sprinting towards a goal, you can afford neither to wander, nor to wonder.
As Einstein once remarked, "If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid", and people continually realise at some point of time that they are in the wrong place. In such cases, while CPI does discount human uniqueness that falls beyond its narrow spectrum; there is intelligence abound that it cannot fathom. CPI then gets reduced into a vicious process of stereotyping, judging everybody with the same yardstick; for the same hues of temperament and letting the individual bright sides fade into inconsequential traits. While this is a case of intelligence smothered, there is the same story at the other end of the line where an ability to work hard, stay disciplined, find loopholes in the system and manipulate it to boost CPI is frequently misunderstood for intelligence.
In summary, what CPI truly reflects is one's ability to work hard; more so an ability to get the job done, imbibe it as the then purpose of life and live by it. Such traits are not very strong indicators of intelligence that is the leading light of our civilisation. Intelligence, one that is marked by ingenuity and a restive and curious mind seeks space where it can be spontaneous and does not thrive in the pressurised atmosphere of CPI. Nonetheless the need for rating is a necessary bane of the contemporary world and CPI becomes indispensable. We are a developing society and still in the hunt for a wholesome metric of intelligence - and we have a long way to go until we have one. Until then we will have to bear with the imperfections of the system. Until then, every report card should carry a disclaimer like information sites where they disown any responsibility for any mistake. A disclaimer that says, "CPI catches only a glimpse of a candidate's ability, a glimpse so small that it is just the tip of the iceberg - just what the candidate sees. One must always use one's discretion as a supplement." Then maybe one can hope that people may not succumb to the heuristics suggested by CPI and attempt to see all the sides of a candidate's ability.
The above article was written by Jitendra Sahu for the InsIghT magazine of IIT- Bombay. Read the original article here.
Pre-Intern
Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire or CERN (or the birthplace of the God particle as known to most of you) is quite arguably the top institution for research in physics, particularly nuclear and particle physics. Getting an internship at CERN is really difficult, even for the brightest brains in the world, and India not being a member state at CERN, makes it even more difficult for us. I have been interested in nuclear physics right from my childhood. Tiny little particles colliding with each other to give huge amount of energy made me curious to actually understand the science behind this. Meanwhile, I was lucky enough to do an internship in experimental particle physics at Osaka University just after my second year. This was followed by the Honda Young Scientist Award Competition in which I connected nuclear fusion reactor technology with power plant projects and actually won the award. Experience in nuclear physics plus a good recommendation from my professor meant that I could meet all the criteria for getting an internship at CERN. So it was easy in process but difficult in selection, as I got a pretty late reply from them.
Experience in nuclear physics plus a good recommendation from my professor meant that I could meet all the criteria for getting an internship at CERN.
The beginning at CERN
CERN is the place where the almighty World Wide Web was created. Apart from that, there have been a lot of scientific breakthroughs like the Higgs Boson, aka the God particle ,and many engineering marvels such as the various remarkable detectors- ATLAS, CMS, and ALICE which are up and running. Their value would be in billions of dollars with efforts put in by over a hundred thousand people from a hundred different countries from all over the world, making it truly remarkable. The LHC (Large Hadron Collider), the largest particle accelerator, sits underground, about a hundred metres below with a massive 27 km circumference, with great perfection and accuracy for keeping the beam width to the order of microns.
I was super excited to come to CERN and the beginning itself was amazing as I hovered over the Alps, imagining the mountain ranges covered with snow as a huge pool of cookie and cream flavoured ice-cream. Geneva, as everyone knows, is one of the costliest places to live in. I landed in Geneva and had a long weekend holiday that week. Hence, I could not visit CERN properly, and the excitement was turned off. But, to revive the joy I went to Marseille, a city in the south coast of France, just to explore and enjoy the Mediterranean coast.
It is a must to be minimalistic when living abroad. It's important to properly plan all the things you must take along with you to ensure there are no hassles later on.
Accommodation and Food
I had gotten my confirmation for CERN a bit late, so I had to hurry for the bookings for my accommodation at the CERN Hostel. I would have bothered the hostel workers about a hundred times in order to get my booking done properly with an entire overview of the facilities provided. It is a must to be minimalistic when living abroad. It's important to properly plan all the things you must take along with you to ensure there are no hassles later on. For daily commuting, we had this wonderful free facility to rent a bike at CERN. That saved a lot of time in buying groceries from nearby stores and commuting between hostel and CERN.
CERN is on the Swiss-French border. It would be a bragging statement to make, but I lived in France and worked in Switzerland and have crossed the border a thousand times! Well, this was the best thing to happen as France is cheap to live and Switzerland is the best to enjoy life and nature.
Being a vegetarian could be a problem in Japan but not in Europe as there are many who are turning into vegans, so there are a lot more options now. My generic dinner used to be pasta/pizza along with juice or milk and then puddings for dessert. Not to forget the famous Swiss chocolates which I had every now and then. I loved the baguette, the French bread, which is a bit harder than a normal loaf, but has its authentic texture and taste. I didn't miss Indian food much.
Work at CERN
My main task was to assist in many of the beam tests that were conducted, and to handle the entire mechanical setup for it.
I was working with the ATLAS, Inner Detector Group, the PH-ADE-ID. My main task was to assist in many of the beam tests that were conducted and to handle the entire mechanical setup for it.
The basic idea is that, the LHC is being upgraded and this summer the energy of the proton beam was increased from 8 TeV to 13 TeV. Due to this, the detectors need to be upgraded too, in order to sustain the high energy radiation damage. There are proposals of many new materials like diamond, HVCMOS (High Voltage CMOS), etc. that can be used. In the beam test we check the efficiency of these materials and then, after considering various parameters, decide the most apt material to be put in the detectors.
The beam test is carried out with the help of a telescope (that's what they call it). It is basically a particle tracker which would help us know the track of the particle and then we keep the material to be tested (DUT, device under test) in between the telescope and check the detection done by it.
I also did a bit of coding work which involved data reconstruction of the test beam. Basically, re-creating the track of the particle.
In fact, one of the pros in favour of my wanting to do research is to be able to roam around the world and explore new places, people and cultures.
Travelling around the place
I love travelling. In fact, one of the pros in favour of my wanting to do research is to be able to roam around the world and explore new places, people and cultures. As already mentioned, I went to Marseille on the day I landed in Geneva; clearly indicating my craze for travelling. I went to almost all the important places in Switzerland which are Lausanne, Bern, Interlaken, Lucerne, Zurich and Basel. I also touched the black forest in Germany. Hiking up the Jura was an amazing but tiring experience. Of course, going to Mt. Titlis with my junior CS friends was the best. In France, I went to the Paris, and Lyon too. I would say the best transport system of all was in Paris, as it is so well connected and moreover the easiest for tourists.
Switzerland is a package of various types of mountains from totally green to totally white and a lot of freshwater lakes, along with a variety of cows and chocolates too! The cruises here are so very relaxing and depict the luxurious lives that the people here have. Visiting the chocolate factory with unlimited chocolate tasting would attract anyone. The cheese factory visit was quite informative and made me realise that patience creates the best out of anything.
France also has its own charm. It was a different experience to travel in le TGV (Train de Grande Vitesse) the high speed French trains. Of course, France being less expensive, it encouraged me to experiment more with the local food and culture. Living amidst the Jura ranges, I saw scenes, as beautiful as paintings (worth fortunes!) every single day.
The people here have no rush in life, unlike Bombay. At times, I was frustrated but then I realised that efficiency is not just how much you do something but also how well you do it!
"Success in life comes when you simply refuse to give up, with goals so strong, that obstacles, failure and loss only act as a motivation"
This article was written by Harsh Kabra, a student at IIT-B. His experience as an intern at CERN is originally published in InsIghT.
There is an old adage that goes, 'Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.' For a long time, Indian mentality about education has been rigid and fixated on textual learning. Although, we haven't yet passed that era, there is some room for change. Modern institutes are experimenting with the internet for teaching purposes. So the question is, can technology change pedagogy? Will it help teaching take the big leap required? This story is not about any revolutionizing change in education, but about the little efforts that can improve learning patterns in India. Prof Neelesh K. Jain, Academic Affairs Dean, IIT Indore speaks about such initiatives on a national scale.
Introducing technology in education will help students be more social. Now-a-days, there are a lot of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds getting admission into IITs. Hence, there is a greater need for students to be aware about the problems existing in the society and be an active part of the community.
In IIT Indore, the use of audios, videos and PowerPoint presentations is not infrequent. For students who study on-campus, lecture notes are available on YouTube and Google as well. But these techniques can be found to be in use in almost all prestigious institutes in India. The need of the hour is to extend or rather improvise such techniques to benefit the larger audience, especially those students who are not as fortunate to be a part of an IIT.
This is where the concept of distance learning through video-conferences comes into picture. This system can be used to offer our standard of education to students in those cities where IITs are not established. One can also set-up remote campuses there. Of course, there are challenges to an informal teaching environment. You have to match up to the standard of an IIT and also make the lecture notes and videos easily and cheaply accessible to less privileged students.
There is also a provision for physically handicapped students. We use a system wherein teachers type their notes online on a smart board which automatically gets converted into PDF format. These files are then made available to partially visibly impaired students who find it difficult to read the blackboard at long distances. Lectures can also be recorded in high definition for students with partial hearing impairment.
Besides this, the government of India, in the budget schedule of 2008-09 has made provisions for a system called National Knowledge Network (NKN). This idea was developed mainly by Prof Raghavan from IISC Bengaluru and Dr. R Chidambaram. The purpose of this is to provide a unified high speed network backbone for educational institutions in India. It eliminated the need to replicate teaching resources. Library resources of e-notes and video lectures could be shared by students throughout the country without having to go through any trouble of physical acquisition.
The reason for setting up such an integrated system was mainly to overcome the large rift between the demand and supply of standard formal education. As per the rules, IITs can only accommodate upto 10000 students. Now, the old IITs are already using remote lectures, but the newly launched ones are not yet equipped with the technology for that. In the past 7 years, NKN has set up 66 virtual classrooms throughout India and has been extended to upto 289 districts thus containing the education gap.
My only concern is that this system is only meant for higher learning purposes. I feel that IITs and NITs can use this system to teach school and junior college students as well, since preparation for JEE in many states starts at the school level. This will eliminate the hegemony of coaching classes and initiate application based learning.
All in all, the use of technology in a positive way is always good. If students use it for research and development, it can enable faster and better learning. The only reason why some institutes prohibit modern gadgets on campus is to prevent its use in ruthless and degrading acts.
The issue of engineers turning IAS officers has
always attracted censure. Yet the number of engineers applying for these exams
keeps rallying year after year. So what benefits can an engineer bring to the
system which the others cannot?
An engineer acing the IAS exam has been the trend for a long time. Ira Singhal, this year's IAS topper is a computer engineering graduate, IAS Rank 2, Raj Purohit was from IIT Delhi, while the 2014 IAS topper Gaurav Agarwal was from IIT Kanpur. Famous civil servants like Arvind Kejriwal, D. Subbarao, Manohar Parrikar, Ashok Khemka, Kiran Bedi, etc. all come from engineering backgrounds.
Yet, recently, several questions have been raised about the resulting lack of accommodation for non-engineers, displaced innovations, and shifts in the composition of the system.
Wasting Resources:
In 1995, some UPSC candidates suggested that students with engineering degrees should not be allowed to apply for IAS/IPS/IFS (source). In the past 20 years, few education analysts have accused professionals of wasting seats in prestigious universities like IITs and NITs which could have been granted to other deserving aspirants. In every batch of IITians, around 30-40 % go abroad and another 20 % go for further studies. Hence, the money spent by the government on providing a subsidised engineering education for them is futile.
Job Disillusion:
According to Vishal Gori, a UPSC aspirant from Mumbai, "Most engineers apply for IAS because of job security or preference of working in public sector." Besides, in a country that mass produces engineers, only 20% of them have the caliber to work in an MNC, while those who take up engineering due to peer or parental pressure are usually unsure about what career to pursue and hence end up applying for UPSC.
Social Impact
Aamil Syed Naeem, another UPSC aspirant from Mumbai says, "I was working in a corporate earlier with a good post and profile, but the social impact of the job was very low. I didn't want to be just a cog in the machine. There are very few areas where you get to make an impact like the IAS/IPS. Working for the government, you are in a better position to make welfare decisions and have fewer restrictions than in a corporate role. In a private job, by the time you achieve a good post and power, you lose the spark of youth."
IAS officer Raju Narayanaswamy, on passing out from IIT Chennai, was offered a scholarship in Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. He turned down that offer because he believed that he had a moral obligation to give something in return for the finances the government spent on him as an IIT student. Currently posted in Kerala, he is of the view that as an IIT + IAS, and with a decade long experience, it's easier to channel your professional understanding to contain national problems like corruption.
Reducing bureaucracy
Most IAS officers today are in their 20s and have less than 8-10 years of substantial government experience. Having a younger crowd in the force may reduce the bureaucracy and red tapism present in the system. Nowadays, the government undertakes several welfare projects in collaboration with private conglomerates wherein the former provide finances and the latter facilitate technology and expertise. There is a notion that corporates don't usually have people's interest in mind, and are more concerned with costing and royalty instead. But, if you are a bureaucrat, you can have better control over such aspects too. For e.g. Narayanaswamy has on several occasions acted against corrupt officials in the government.
Displaced innovations
It is stated that engineers have logical understanding needed to make a difference. If you are a civil or mechanical engineer with considerable experience, you will have a greater insight in public welfare projects. However, a UPSC aspirant, Swati Kalidindi from Hyderabad, says, "Those engineers who are very innovative, don't want to join the IAS. Most of those who enter this field are service oriented and hence it doesn't matter what profession or qualification you come from. However, to some extent, engineers can use their innovation to bring efficiency and speed to the job."
Unfair Advantage:
Engineers have a better chance of scoring in UPSC exams because they come with the skills and experience from a private company, whereas some others who depend on these jobs for their livelihood are unable to pass or excel in the field. Besides, IITians usually opt for science/maths for their optional papers which gives them an unfair advantage. It's easy for them to score a 400 in maths which may seem near impossible for non-engineering graduates. There is also a small section of students who take up engineering with the aim to have an upper hand at cracking the civil services exams.
Nowadays, the trend is more towards technocrats than bureaucrats. Hence, despite all the criticism of engineers joining the IAS, their advancement to one of the top posts in civil services is not a bane to the nation.
This year a lot changed in the system for the engineering aspirants. The Joint allocation process was the biggest change. However, there is one other change that has been introduced. Not a 'change' per say, but a modification to the already existing system. The one year preparatory course conducted in the IITs. The change is that this year, all the IITs and ISM-Dhanbad will conduct the course. How helpful is this prep course that is conducted only for the students of the reserved category?
"It is thoughtful on the part of the IITs to induct students and train them for a year. It helps the kids' clear basics and mainly learn English," said a professor, from IIT Kharagpur. He also added that it would help them in the long run, since they may be from the vernacular medium.
As such the cut offs for the reserved caste students is much lower than the general category. Despite this, the quota of seats in these premium institutes goes unfilled. It is in a bid to fill these seats that the IITs began to offer the Preparatory courses. This one year course is divided into two semesters. The students who opt to take admission for this course are taught English, and Physics, Chemistry and Math. "They have to attempt an exam at the end of each semester, if they pass the exams, they will qualify to take admissions in the following year to the course or branch they have applied," he added
Typically it becomes a five year graduation course instead of 4 years. Many students, who have applied for this course, are not very vocal in admitting it and the ones who do end painting a rosy picture. "It helped a bit, but then it is tough to say, "I did the prep course". In my case friends helped me a lot. But I am not sure if others get such support," added one second year student from IIT Bombay, who refused to be named.
There is no defined success/ fail rate regarding this course; however, a particularly interesting trend has been noticed. The number of students opting for this course, this year, has increased. One could point out the obvious and say the number of seats increased, hence the rise in the number of students. But on the flip side, it could also mean that students too are willing to take the opportunity that is being offered to make something better of their life.
It may not make a big difference to the students, but for the hard workers, it may just be the stepping stone to success.
The low- down
On the 15th of June, 2015, IIT Roorkee decided to give 73 B.Tech students, who had just completed their first year of college the ouster stating poor academic performance. At a time when most of the students were still home and awaiting the beginning of the semester, the news came as a bolt from the blue after notices were put up stating that the names of these students were being "struck off" the roll list.
The gusto with which the rule has been implemented hasn't ever been seen before. At a place where more due-deliberation goes into decisions that matter far less, even the mercy pleas given by them have already been reviewed and rejected, after another meeting that concluded that the expulsions would not be revoked.
Crestfallen and now, left without an option other than seeking admission in colleges still willing to take them are these students, assessed to be good enough to take admission into the leading technological institutes of the country.
The institute's argument in support of the decision has been that in most instances, students with poor academic record in first year fail to clear their courses and obtain a degree. Expelling students in first year itself would "allow students to pursue alternate career choices, instead of studying something they're not cut out for". The institute maintains its stance that the decision is being taken in the interests of the students who would have otherwise dropped out later anyway.
Expelling students in first year itself would "allow students to pursue alternate career choices, instead of studying something they're not cut out for".
When your IIT "fails" you
The affected students, who're now left to fend for themselves after an year of college annulled, also don't have the option of giving the JEE again. If left unrevoked, the expulsion could end engineering careers for many. The students had just been admitted an year ago; to say that they're not good enough to compete in the institute raises questions on the very mechanism that chooses them. With the move, we believe, the administration has absolved itself of any responsibility to the students that it admitted.
Rahul Jain, a fifth year student from IITB writes, "While a low performance is certainly not desirable, fitting into a newer form of study pattern takes time, where some take more time to adjust, some less. I have ample number of cases around me, who started on a similar path, but managed to regain their speed and the correct path, thanks to their own hard work, support from others and grace of the authorities. IIT-B has been quite supportive in that regard, and has a structure that is willing to give chances to students who have a genuine will to improve."
"While a low performance is certainly not desirable, fitting into a newer form of study pattern takes time, where some take more time to adjust, some less."
The institute's argument in support of the decision has been that in most instances, students with poor academic record in first year fail to clear their courses and obtain a degree. Expelling students in first year itself would "allow students to pursue alternate career choices, instead of studying something they're not cut out for". The institute maintains its stance that the decision is being taken in the interests of the students who would have otherwise dropped out later anyway.
Supporting this argument, the Dean of Student Welfare came out and said "This decision has a background. Looking over the data from the previous years, we found that students who had a backlog in the first year carry it till the fourth and the fifth year. In some cases students were not able to complete the backlogs even till the sixth year and they had to leave the institute without a degree. That senate took into consideration with due deliberations, that if such an unfortunate things happens then it would be spoiling the career of the students for ever. To avoid such cases the constraints are placed on the first year level itself, so that if they are out of the system then they can continue their studies elsewhere. Their precious years are not wasted."
The argument received support from the ex Dean of Student Affairs of IITB, Dr Urijit A Yajnik who maintained that the incident is not something that should be seen in a negative light, but something that would genuinely help those not suited for the curriculum.
"I feel that the students students not take it as a negative episode, and also that there are colleges willing to admit them directly to the second year because the curriculum at IIT is very demanding. But the student may well be very suitable at a usual college.
What is being forgotten in the recent reorganisation of the entry process to the IITs is that the IITs were being set up as a special national initiative to demand special capabilities of students, demanding a a
creative and and a higher cognitive component."
When the selection procedure fails you
While it is true that the students in question failed to meet the criterion of minimum CGPA of 5, it's also true that they've been selected through a process that screens the very best, the JEE. To say that the students were not up for the task ahead of them after admitting them, does raise questions on the very process.
A similar point was highlighted when Dr. Yajnik said "Since the selection process has statistical errors, there may well be some people not suited for this kind of curriculum. The Academic Performance
Evaluation Committees (APEC at IITB) of the respective institutions are charged with the responsibility to signal the cases that are not suitable and ask them to opt elsewhere in good time before it is is too late."
"Since the selection process has statistical errors, there may well be some people not suited for this kind of curriculum."
The "statistical errors" that these cases seem to be identified as, are now being left to fend for themselves and seek admissions in institutes that are willing to admit them.
D K Nauriyal (Dean of Student Welfare, IITR)
"It is quite unfortunate that it has happened but it has happened out of a senate resolution last year. This information was also conveyed to the students that whosoever is not able to score a CG above five will not be allowed to continue his/her studies in the institute. So it was just implemented by Dean Academics, but the number being so large, it has become problematic. Had it been five or ten students, people might have not known about it.
This decision has a background. Looking over the data from the previous years, we found that students who had a backlog in the first year carry it till the fourth and the fifth year. In some cases students were not able to complete the backlogs even till the sixth year and they had to leave the institute without a degree.If students score a D in one or two subjects, then is excusable as it might have happened due to a bad teacher or some other reason, but if the student accumulate the grade D or less in all the subjects then this poses a serious question mark on the capacity of the students to bear the load of the studies here. Our expectation from the students is that, if they are getting a D in some subjects then there might be some other subjects of their interest in which they would score higher and maintain an overall CG of five.
We conducted a meeting with the weaker section of students from all the years and discussed their problems. By and large, communication comes out to be a major problem because of which the students are not able to score well. To tackle this we have evolved a system.
We have identified students with a CGPA of less than six; those students will have student mentors now. We have invited application for the students from senior batches who are interested in mentoring students. Those students will have a CGPA above eight. They will act as student mentors. We have also identified the key courses where the students seem to be falling."
The impasse and current status
The issue serves to highlight the mismatch between what the institutes expect and what the process of the JEE delivers. While the institute continues to maintain that the bar of academic standards that's been set cannot be lowered, and that this is for the students' own benefit, the question that's yet unanswered is: What of the "statistical errors" in the process of JEE? What part of the onus falls on the institute? And finally, who is to bear the shared burden of this deficit between expectations and reality? Meanwhile in IIT Roorkee, there were continued demonstrations by students, which were soon controlled by the administration who allegedly rolled out "standing orders for the students". The case was dismissed for the second time by the High court, after which many of these students have applied for and have been accepted in other colleges in Delhi or elsewhere.
This article was originally published in the InsIghT magazine of IIT Bombay.
This is my third attempt at finishing this blog. I'm back home and lazing around - trying to figure how eight weeks flew by. Writing this blog seems to be a good way to sit back and reflect.
How does this work?
Shell's Assessed Internship program is one of the classiest ways to immerse yourself in the oil & gas industry, and I'd say Shell in particular. The resources & opportunities you get here during the course of the internship are more than sufficient for you to understand the culture at the company and to see yourself working there as an employee. Shell adheres to the C-A-R criteria (Capacity, Achievement, Relationship) of assessment which covers your technical understanding, enthusiasm and people skills (The company is charmingly open about its policies - you can find information about all of this on their website. In fact, now that I have temporary access to the internal website - every day begins with surfing the latest news in the energy industry).
Shell adheres to the C-A-R criteria (Capacity, Achievement, Relationship) of assessment which covers your technical understanding, enthusiasm and people skills.
Why Shell?
Not very keen on a core chemical engineering internship, I had refrained from applying in any core companies or FMCGs that had come for interviews before Shell. I consulted with many seniors who had interned with Shell and/or were currently working / about to join - and the one thing that really impacted me was that every single one of them had only good things to say about the company culture, work ethics as well as the kind of projects that they worked on. I then tried to ask them what they did not like about the job - and people (mostly) came up blank. After my intern here, I can now say with confidence that I made the right choice.
About the Project
At the end of my hour-long interview, I was asked whether I had a preference for the kind of projects I would like to work on. Majoring in Chemical Engineering and generally an economics enthusiast, I was pretty sure I would enjoy almost any kind of project that they had to offer (In hindsight, I could not have been more wrong on this front because as an integrated company with operations in upstream, downstream and midstream, Shell has a very wide range of job profiles - not all of which are suited for chemical engineers, even ones with an interest in economics). However, I was very lucky to get a project largely tailored to my interests.
My project is unique because of two reasons - one, it is entirely a team effort (with 3 other interns), and secondly, it requires us to interact with practically all the other disciplines in the company. While it meant going back to 4th semester Chemical Engineering - it could also not have been more different from 4th semester ChemE! Needless to say, the all of this comes with an accompanying sense of "information overload".
My project is unique because of two reasons - one, it is entirely a team effort (with 3 other interns), and secondly, it requires us to interact with practically all the other disciplines in the company.
This brings me to the best part about Shell - the work culture. Like most internships, we've been assigned mentors and buddies. But unlike most internships, our interaction is hardly limited to them. The environment here is very open and you can approach anyone without hesitation. You can walk up to anybody's desk and schedule a *GTKY (get-to-know-you) session with them. Even as interns, we've had a chance to have a candid talk with the big-shots of our department. This culture helps a great deal with the "information overload". There were instances when someone with 20 years of experience sat with me for an hour-and-half, even sacrificing half his lunch time so he could sit with me till I absolutely understood a certain element of the project at hand - all I had to do was ask him to help me out. This kind of help is not at all rare at Shell.
You can walk up to anybody's desk and schedule a *GTKY (get-to-know-you) session with them. Even as interns, we've had a chance to have a candid talk with the big-shots of our department.
Interns are treated very well - a great deal of investment goes into the projects designed for us. One of the best things about these projects is that they test not only your technical skills but also give you a sense of how well you fit in the O&G industry. Shell is one of the best in the O&G industry - so if you find the industry challenging and exciting, then Shell is definitely the place for you! (You might want to spend some time reading about oil prices & the different technologies used for oil processing - they give you a very real ground-level feel of how economic value is generated)
One of the best things about these projects is that they test not only your technical skills but also give you a sense of how well you fit in the O&G industry.
Takeaways
In my second week here, I told my mentor I was set on pursuing a Masters in Economics. I wouldn't blame it entirely on the way Chemical engineering is taught at the undergraduate level, but I had never really understood how on earth was I going to apply transport phenomenon ever in my entire life! The entire 6th semester had been spent in trying to figure out the working of one single absorption unit in Mass Transfer. In just one month at Shell, I was figuring out flows for combinations of absorption units - combined with boilers, compressors, heat exchangers and what not! And all of it, surprisingly, made sense when seen in this context. Whatever initial skepticism I had was gone within a couple of weeks of interacting with people - Shell has successfully built a culture where people actually care about their work and are convinced that it matters.
Personally, I had some long-term plans before the internship, and in my eight weeks here, I already found myself thinking of a reasonably long-term career at Shell. The encouraging work environment, plenty of growth opportunities, freedom to pursue related interests and the focus on work-life balance - what more could one ask for? No doubt I have learned a lot during my internship, but I definitely have a lot more to learn at this place. But for now, the internship is over and last year of college awaits. Feel free to contact me if you want to know more about my internship, Shell or the Oil & Gas industry in general - I'd be happy to answer your queries in person.
*(Another Shell quirk - TLAs or Three-lettered-acronyms. Learning about these, reminded me of my freshman year in the insti - the insane grappling with insti lingo!)
The above article was written originally published in InsIghT magazine of IIT Bombay.
It is not easy getting into an IIT, be it the general category or reserved. Though the cut-offs for the reserved lot are lower. However, despite being lower, for a variety of factors, the seats for reserved students often go empty in the IITs. To address this problem in the mid 1990s, the IITs wrote to the government for permission to start what is today called the Preparatory course.
This course which is in its 20 years of functioning is aimed at encouraging the active participation of SC/ST and other reserved students into the fold. The course is meant for those who do not make it because of low ranks and are willing to put in a year 'preparing' for the next academic year in an IIT.
The one year course is divided into two semesters. The students who opt for this course are taught English, Physics, Chemistry and Math during their course period. The course features an examination at the end of each semester, depending upon on which the students are admitted to the branch that they chose.
All IITs run this course and this year the numbers have increased to 185 students. This is partly because the number of seats have increased and also the awareness of this course.
A professor from IIT- Delhi, Anurag Sharma, Dean for Academic Affairs told PaGaLGuY that the course helps students in various ways, not just academics. "Living in an IIT campus with other students broadens their outlook to life and also what life is on the campus, this helps them to have a better standpoint to what is expected."
This preparatory course ensures that students undertake the course on the campus itself. Candidates stay in the hostels, eat and dine with other students and also receive a monthly stipend of Rs. 250. At the end of the course, candidates have to take an exam, and if successful gain direct entry into the IIT.
If they do get into the IIT, it then becomes a five year graduation course instead of 4 years.
PaGaLGuY spoke to a student who took this course a while ago. He did not give the course much credit and said it was his friends who helped him through the year. "If others get as much support from peers as much as I did, admission becomes easier."
Despite this course, seats reserved for the reserved category often remain empty. Students and professors, both, believe that while such attempts to integrate the reserved class of students is of sound motive, there are other factors that hamper.
These candidates are sometimes low on self-esteem and also communication and English language skills. If all these are addressed rigorously in the prep course, in the years to come, there is bound to be a change in the scenario.