E-Paper
IITians must protect quality education: Harshe
"INDIAN INSTITUTES of Technology (IITs) have emerged as a part of the Nehruvian vision to boost technical education in higher studies on all-India basis and were instruments to promote national integration and distribute talent evenly in the country".
"INDIAN INSTITUTES of Technology (IITs) have emerged as a part of the Nehruvian vision to boost technical education in higher studies on all-India basis and were instruments to promote national integration and distribute talent evenly in the country".
This was stated by Allahabad University Vice-Chancellor Prof Rajen Harshe while participating in a discussion "How can the IITians' serve the Society" at a function organised by the IIT Alumni Association Allahabad Chapter at its annual meet at DSA Ground on Sunday evening.
Prof Harshe said that all the IITians have to stand up to protect quality education when there is clear onslaught on quality over the years.
Moreover, the politicians and decision makers have to be persuaded to treat work in secular ways. In India, we are turning secular requirements that stem from work into communal ones, said Prof Harshe.
North Central Zone Cultural Centre Director Bhagwan Shanker said, "Everyone has some form of potential and what was required was the team spirit in individuals whether they are IITians or are from any non-engineering background".
Head of AU's Department of Psychology Prof Janak Pandey dwelt on the initiatives taken by IITs and said that IIT Kanpur started contributing only after the 1990s. He disclosed the efforts of an IIT alumni who collected Rs 10 crore and gave it to IIT Kanpur for setting up a Bio-science complex.
G B Pant Social Sciences Institute Director Prof R C Tripathi began his deliberation by asserting that the ongoing theme was suggestive "as if nothing is being done by the IITians".
Prof Tripathi suggested that IITians could contribute greatly in "developing newer technologies for the rural sector which could eradicate poverty and generate employment thereby prevent migration from villages to towns and cities".
Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Director Prof AB Samaddar
said that Allahabad had "the greatest congregation on earth that was looking at the mythological aspect since it was always a seat of learning". He said that it was from Allahabad where the world's "first mail flight took off from Naini" and called upon the IIT fraternity to address the issues of pollution and electricity".
Prof Manas Mukul Das said that we have to learn how to learn and everybody can make a contribution to society, North Central Railway General Manager Budh Prakash lamented how the failure of technology led to Bhopal Gas tragedy and polythene contamination in the country. The need of the hour he said was "to make good persons and not only good engineers where one has to emphasise on character building".
He emphasised that there should be no compromise on health and ethics in order to have a balanced life.
Earlier former Managing Director of Bharat Pumps and Compressors Limited and present IIT Alumni Association's Allahabad unit president Er K K Pandey welcomed the guests and Er S C Mathur, former General Manager of Bharat Yantra Nigam Limited introduced the audience about the activities of the Association.
