Who are Engineers?
''Engineers ... are not superhuman. They make mistakes in their assumptions, in their calculations, in their conclusions. That they make mistakes is forgivable; that they catch them is imperative. Thus it is the essence of modern engineering not only to be able to check one's own work but also to have one's work checked and to be able to check the work of others ''
- Henry Petroski
(From: To Engineer Is Human. Engineers Creed)
Derived from the Latin world"ingeniare" engineering means ''to design'' or ''to create''. Hardly any engineer knows this definition,understanding is distant dream. Theoretically engineers apply the theories and principle of science and mathematics to research and develop economical solution to technical problem.
We, Indians are producing hardly these kind of engineers in practical. My statement is not indirect insult to the system, but a down to earth filthy slang on engineering education system. Production of mass scale of engineers instead of class scale has lead us to this crisis.
Most of the students in India enter into field of engineering with the passion to turn the world upside down with their talent. Simply speaking, they want to achieve some distinctness in this field. Few of them go through IIT and became elite class. Its not necessary that all IITians are ingenious and incarnated from heaven. In reality,only few of them has been poisoned by the deadly snake of scientific temper and creativeness. Then,long story short... they face harsh and brute reality. The infrastructure of engineering education is more based on suppressing than nourishing of talent. With few exception of really dedicated students, curiosity and passion of the students die slowly. Most of the students will really agree with me that their sharpness of mind is blunted in the span of four years of study of engineering and technology.
Students are really good in P.C.M. [Physics, Chemistry and Maths] till engineering entrance examinations. Logic, Reasoning and Creativity abilities vary with each individuals. Our academics much focus on data [subjects] than information [Interpretation and In cooperation]. Scientific Temper is not in the scene of study. The system focus on learning (mugging) without understanding or blind faith on authority.
Hold for a minute.... What is the meaning of this word 'Scientific Temper'? It means curiosity and willingness to investigate facts by logic and reasoning.
Most of the engineering students and teachers are rigid in their thoughts. Left alone the numb administrative policy makers. All scientific temper sublimes in the practical life of college. All Labs,Workshops and even tutorials have become ritual than a scientific investigation of concepts.
Result oriented practicals and experiments have doomed every talent of this country. Weightage of success rate of experiment is much high than understanding of concept behind it. Every teacher of engineering has suffered from this curse. Yet,they became infectious carrier or paralyzed patient of this lethal virus.
Problems created by few teachers are false ego and unfriendliness behaviour towards junior teachers,working staff and students. They want to hide their faults under the huge banners of discipline and respect. They have infact never learned the basic principle of teaching.
-Discipline cannot be imposed on any person force fully especially on 17+ age group.Discipline is a self applied phenomenon.Disraeli had quoted '' You cannot make men virtuous by acts of parliament ''. A student should fear from administration only on imbreachmnet of rules. Nothing less than this should be accepted.These few teachers make a gap between them and students. Knowledge can only pass through bridge between them;
-Respecting teachers is important virtue of the student.Teachers tend to demand it from students.Respect can only be earned by command not demand. Command comes from knowledge, not from whip....
-Questioning on authority is always taken in negative percepts by administration. Lack of transparency in economic matters is principle concern for students. There is misunderstanding for word 'investment' and 'expenditure' between students and administrators. Lack of vision for future and crawling action on plans is our major problem.
Few teachers don't change with time and makes engineering boring. They bring same yellow pages of notes to dictate lectures over years. Student feel engineering as:
''The sad mechanic exercise,Like dull narcotics,numbing pain.'' They ensure and give more emphasis on written work than learning concepts. When technology is growing exponentially, we are not even changing linearly. Sarcastically, only electronic gadgets are updated at colleges of technology....
A teacher is friend, philosopher and guide to the student. But most of faculty fail to perform the task. No teacher can give all knowledge of a subject but atleast they can ignite the flames of interest of the subject in students. It is quite correct that some teachers accept their limitation in modest manner. They pursue the question together with student for optimal solution. They are really the ones,a student looks for a role model.
'A single line of Truth is more convincing than epitome of false knowledge'.
Most of students believe in their exceptional talents but go for smart than hard work. Learning is plant of slow growth but current students are more interested in earning. Open discussion on any topics should be made between students, teachers and administration on equal grounds. All of them are basic component and just incomplete without each other in this engineering education system. A platform is necessary to put the ideas together.
There is a flame of hope in every new students and teachers to fill shortcomings of pattern in the system. It dies slowly with time. Now, the choice is ours. Mourn on the dead flames or rekindle the minds in the dark.Let our hope and efforts do not perish within the system.
Long Live the Spirit of Innovation..
Monday, August 11, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Save ITBHU
"Greetings,
Recently, I read a news in TOI about the 6 new IITs being preferred over IT BHU. Only low rank holders are opting for BHU. Well, that is pretty normal and I would have also opted for one of the IITs if I were to take the admission.
Why?
- I don't know anything about IT BHU that makes it different from other institutes that admit students through JEE.
- The IT BHU section in the JEE brochure talks more about the trivial details than giving information about the IT BHU's vantage points over the the other Institutes that participate in the admission process.
- It doesn't answer all the questions that come to mind of the students when they opt for a college during the JEE counseling.
- It doesn't talk about IT BHU alumni who have made a difference.
- It doesn't talk about the opportunities a student will get if he opts for IT BHU.
- It doesn't talk about the state of the art facilities, a student will get if he/she joints IT. Actually, we have none so the purpose of mentioning this point is self defeated.
- It doesn't talk about how joining IT would give it's students a head start in their career.
In reality we don't have much to talk about except the placements. Students are not motivated; they keep cribbing; they are in low spirits.
The reasons?? Well there are many
- The curriculum is not interesting. Its a lot theoretical, with very little scope of doing simultaneous practical projects. That is the reason why many ITians go to the IITs for summer internship projects.
- There is lack of facilities and funds for the labs.
- There are no collaborations with research labs and universities.
The only reason for the good placements has been that BHU's linkage with JEE. With the coming of the 6 new IITs, only the low rank holders will join BHU.(I assume BHU will now open around rank 3500 ) This change is surely going to affect the reputation of our Institute. It may happen that no big shot companies will come to the college campus for recruiting.
What can be done?
A lot. Believe me, we can bring the change.
- First of all, there should be common platform where representatives of administration, alumni and students can come together and discuss different things. The administration should give an ear to the things being discussed. So, please register @ http://www.itbhuglobal.org/
- Students should come up and speak out if they are facing any difficulty. It can be about lack of funds or lack of any facility or anything.
- The curriculum should be redesigned to introduce more electives so that students have more choices.Also there should be more opportunities of carrying out research projects .
- Take the example of ISB. It has reserved a place among the top B schools in India in no time. It has made so much progress that people have started to prefer ISB to IIM A. The reason behind this trend is that ISB have done so much to maintain the aura of exclusivity of the Institute. If we can do something similar ISB has done, then there is no doubt that we shall be one of the best engineering colleges in India and who knows JEE toppers might want to join IT BHU instead of joining any other IIT. Our alums are at very prestigious positions and we can come together to make our Institute the best in terms of facilities; in terms of benefits; in terms of academics; in terms of anything that comes to the mind of the students when they opt for a college during the JEE counseling.
- We can collaborate with research labs, universities (if not foreign then at least with Indian big shots such as IITs,IISc, TIFR, ISI ).
- We can sponsor students for filing patents or publishing papers.
- We can donate different software, which students can't afford on their own, to the different department labs.
- All the obsolete courses should be removed from the curriculum.
(There is much more to do)
Something is sought after if it is exclusive.
I am ending this article with a hope that next year IT would come up as a strong contender among the choices of Institutes that participate in JEE. I hope we shall do something about it.
This is part of a mail by an alumnus in ITBHU yahoo groups. I am putting this material in general public to aware the ITians who are not part of these group. This message is really a matter of introspection for ITBHU to stand in the race of best engineering colleges in India.
Recently, I read a news in TOI about the 6 new IITs being preferred over IT BHU. Only low rank holders are opting for BHU. Well, that is pretty normal and I would have also opted for one of the IITs if I were to take the admission.
Why?
- I don't know anything about IT BHU that makes it different from other institutes that admit students through JEE.
- The IT BHU section in the JEE brochure talks more about the trivial details than giving information about the IT BHU's vantage points over the the other Institutes that participate in the admission process.
- It doesn't answer all the questions that come to mind of the students when they opt for a college during the JEE counseling.
- It doesn't talk about IT BHU alumni who have made a difference.
- It doesn't talk about the opportunities a student will get if he opts for IT BHU.
- It doesn't talk about the state of the art facilities, a student will get if he/she joints IT. Actually, we have none so the purpose of mentioning this point is self defeated.
- It doesn't talk about how joining IT would give it's students a head start in their career.
In reality we don't have much to talk about except the placements. Students are not motivated; they keep cribbing; they are in low spirits.
The reasons?? Well there are many
- The curriculum is not interesting. Its a lot theoretical, with very little scope of doing simultaneous practical projects. That is the reason why many ITians go to the IITs for summer internship projects.
- There is lack of facilities and funds for the labs.
- There are no collaborations with research labs and universities.
The only reason for the good placements has been that BHU's linkage with JEE. With the coming of the 6 new IITs, only the low rank holders will join BHU.(I assume BHU will now open around rank 3500 ) This change is surely going to affect the reputation of our Institute. It may happen that no big shot companies will come to the college campus for recruiting.
What can be done?
A lot. Believe me, we can bring the change.
- First of all, there should be common platform where representatives of administration, alumni and students can come together and discuss different things. The administration should give an ear to the things being discussed. So, please register @ http://www.itbhuglobal.org/
- Students should come up and speak out if they are facing any difficulty. It can be about lack of funds or lack of any facility or anything.
- The curriculum should be redesigned to introduce more electives so that students have more choices.Also there should be more opportunities of carrying out research projects .
- Take the example of ISB. It has reserved a place among the top B schools in India in no time. It has made so much progress that people have started to prefer ISB to IIM A. The reason behind this trend is that ISB have done so much to maintain the aura of exclusivity of the Institute. If we can do something similar ISB has done, then there is no doubt that we shall be one of the best engineering colleges in India and who knows JEE toppers might want to join IT BHU instead of joining any other IIT. Our alums are at very prestigious positions and we can come together to make our Institute the best in terms of facilities; in terms of benefits; in terms of academics; in terms of anything that comes to the mind of the students when they opt for a college during the JEE counseling.
- We can collaborate with research labs, universities (if not foreign then at least with Indian big shots such as IITs,IISc, TIFR, ISI ).
- We can sponsor students for filing patents or publishing papers.
- We can donate different software, which students can't afford on their own, to the different department labs.
- All the obsolete courses should be removed from the curriculum.
(There is much more to do)
Something is sought after if it is exclusive.
I am ending this article with a hope that next year IT would come up as a strong contender among the choices of Institutes that participate in JEE. I hope we shall do something about it.
This is part of a mail by an alumnus in ITBHU yahoo groups. I am putting this material in general public to aware the ITians who are not part of these group. This message is really a matter of introspection for ITBHU to stand in the race of best engineering colleges in India.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The Remains of the Day
This post was written in May and saved as draft. I don't want to express my feeling about these beautiful dying moments in words. After a long thinking process, I am publishing about my last days in ITBHU.
A part of me is dying slowly without any whisper.I am not even mourning or thinking about it. Only few days of my precious college life is with me .Clock ticks and a moment is stolen from mine last days in ITBHU.
I feel like a person whose 4 years in ITBHU can reflect on a day's work. Evening is symbolic for last year, when one can look back and assess one's college life. I had never feel so much dejected and sad in 4 years. This moment of separation from beloved college and friends is haunting me. Thought of not coming here in July seems strange to me. Everybody, I shared my best years of life are scattered. We will meet anywhere in future but this chemistry of love and hate will be missing. Fresh air in the morning,Late night outs in semester downloading latest movies from DC++ will be missed by each of us.
The Professional world is coming down to me with a furious pace.Stake of mine survival in professional world of Sharks, piranhas and alligators is very low. I am a lone fish whose only pleasure is his solitude.
I want to make confession on this day. I don't like personally all of the mine colleagues but respect and adore few of them for their brilliance in their area of work. I don't enjoy good relationship with few batch mates but really praise their hard work. I was also saddened by the negative mindset of some people. There is major problem of jealous behavior from most people on others achievement in our college. They make it habit of scrutinizing others hard work under cheap labels. A sense of appreciation of things is missing. I hope that we can mature as a person to enjoy each other success and stand for each other in crisis.
A part of me is dying slowly without any whisper.I am not even mourning or thinking about it. Only few days of my precious college life is with me .Clock ticks and a moment is stolen from mine last days in ITBHU.
I feel like a person whose 4 years in ITBHU can reflect on a day's work. Evening is symbolic for last year, when one can look back and assess one's college life. I had never feel so much dejected and sad in 4 years. This moment of separation from beloved college and friends is haunting me. Thought of not coming here in July seems strange to me. Everybody, I shared my best years of life are scattered. We will meet anywhere in future but this chemistry of love and hate will be missing. Fresh air in the morning,Late night outs in semester downloading latest movies from DC++ will be missed by each of us.
The Professional world is coming down to me with a furious pace.Stake of mine survival in professional world of Sharks, piranhas and alligators is very low. I am a lone fish whose only pleasure is his solitude.
I want to make confession on this day. I don't like personally all of the mine colleagues but respect and adore few of them for their brilliance in their area of work. I don't enjoy good relationship with few batch mates but really praise their hard work. I was also saddened by the negative mindset of some people. There is major problem of jealous behavior from most people on others achievement in our college. They make it habit of scrutinizing others hard work under cheap labels. A sense of appreciation of things is missing. I hope that we can mature as a person to enjoy each other success and stand for each other in crisis.
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