The popular writer discusses the current dilemma experienced by students waiting to get admission to engineering colleges: Whether to give priority to a branch or the brand of a college? Whether to go for IITs only, or to consider other colleges?
Her two back-to back articles published recently in Rediff.com:
Excerpts from the article:
“Here is a query I received from one such student's father:
My son's rank in IIT --- JEE is 2288 and therefore he can opt for branches like Civil, Metallurgy, etc. Under such situation will it be a better choice to go in for Computer Sc from some other college?
He goes on to mention that the boy is likely to get Computer Science in IT-BHU, the NITs, IIIT-Hyderabad and even BITS-Pilani.
Individually, these are amazing institutions. Chakkar yehi hai ki, in the layman's perception, they lack the 'mystique' of an IIT.
What's in a name, eh? Everything, and then some it seems!”
• Is brand IIT your destination?
Excerpts from the article:
“Point taken. But are we saying that BITS Pilani/ IT BHU/ NIT K/ IIIT H are to be likened to Ohio State? And that India’s 'Ivy League' consists of IIT, IIT and only IIT??
Because technically, neither MIT nor Stanford is part of the Ivy League. Yet these schools are considered to be in the same class based on certain common characteristics: highly selective admission procedures, large endowments, prestigious academic reputations.
That's all I'm arguing for. That 'institutes other than IIT' be considered in the same league as an IIT on the basis of merit. Instead of us perpetuating -- indefinitely -- the idea that the only equal to an IIT is another IIT. “
Because then, I predict, the powers that be will be tempted to 'rebrand' more and more institutes as IIT. What a 'solution' that would be!
About Rashmi Bansal:
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Rashmi is a graduate from IIM Ahmedabad and founder-editor of the popular youth magazine JAM (www.jammag.com). She writes on youth, trends, B-schools and entrepreneurship. An avid blogger, you can check out what she writes at Youth Curry (www.youthcurry.blogspot.com) |
| She can be reached at rashmi [AT] jammag.com | |