How many IITians devote time for research, asks Pranab

Just ahead of the final placements at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), former President Pranab Mukherjee raised the issue of imbalance between plush jobs and research & innovation among students.

In his last lecture as guest faculty at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Mukherjee asked how many IIT students devote their energy and talents to research against bagging jobs from multinationals.

Part of the course ‘Public Policy for Inclusive Development of India’ under the aegis of JSW School of Public Policy at IIM-A, the lecture titled ‘Articulating Policy and Institutional Agenda for Future Transformation of India’ saw Mukherjee enumerate steps that India would need to take to build an institutional framework for inclusive development. Unlike the previous four lectures, the last lecture on Saturday was open to the public. Talking about “first class institutions” like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs), among others, Mukherjee said while graduates from these campuses bagged plush jobs, there was still lack of energy and talent towards research and innovation by students.

“Do we require an IIT graduate to affirm the selfpromotion of Dettol or any detergent? Can it not be done by persons of lesser qualification?” he asked while reiterating the need for creation of an ambiance of research and innovation at top institutes.