Indian IT sector - disturbing scenario

I was pleased to read the article published in THE HINDU under the title “Is IT enough, what about basic sciences?” I felt really happy at least there is one paper in India that brought the clear message that IT alone will not make India as super power in the world.

The IT industry has emerged as a major employer of technical and non-technical graduates. Because of the higher salaries, an IT job is chased and cherished by graduates. The manufacturing sector lacks the IT industry’s financial muscle to compete in the job market. We also often hear the IT industries complaining that the graduates are not industry-ready. But they do not understand the concepts that engineering graduates may be employable by the manufacturing sector, but not by the IT sector.

India may be an IT superpower but is a technical laggard. To put in other words, the IT sector has hampered the growth of science and technology in India. India cannot manufacture its own defence equipments too (but saying we are self-sufficient and will be super power and fighting for a permanent seat in ‘dummy’ UNO). Self- sufficient in defence and other areas is totally far away for India. No country in the world can hope to become superpower without a qualitatively superior technological power.

Why too much fund for IIT?

 What is the contribution of the ‘much famed’ IIT to R&D in India? Are the IITs a springboard for higher education and plum jobs in USA? Should the mechanical, chemical, electrical IIT graduates be working as software engineers, consultants and knowledge workers instead of contributing to the growth and competitiveness of the core manufacturing sector?

When the government provides subsidized education with taxpayer’s money, is it too much to expect something in return from the IIT alumni in the form of meaningful research and technological innovations? (Government also should come forward by giving free education to IIT students who sign a contract to pursue a career in research and development)

Is India really “IT” superpower?

It is wonder to describe India as real superpower in IT. (It is a great joke). Even in the latest report released by UNO on the world countries on the IT rankings, India’s position is 117 out of 135 countries. No ‘doctorate’ holders in IT field so far. Still India works on the platform where other IT companies developed it. None of the Indian IT companies developed a world-wide platform (don’t include ‘card holders’ of USA; they are no more Indians). In this situation, we are saying without India, nothing is possible in IT sector….

IT Industry blaming the government

Interestingly, the IT sector blames the Colleges and schools for poor education system. (Yes of course, our education system is poor only but not too the extent that IT industry cries). Everything is fine in Indian education system upto VIII standard. After that only, no more thinking for students, its just taking Xerox of the books in the examination paper. (World’s toughest exam is X and XII exam written by Indian students; not based on the syllabus but it is the pressure given to the students by Teachers, Parents, Media and Societies.). If we look the Nobel Prize winners and all they are not school toppers at all. (Best Example can be quoted from our country itself; it is “father of India’s missile program’” Dr APJ Abdul Kalam). Based on the requirements of IT industry, colleges are also changing the syllabus. Without basic of computer language, mastering the language with MSCE / ICSE certification is just a mere waste.

Campus Requirement – A speed break to the students to pursue R&D

When an engineering students enters III year itself, he started to work on arithmetic problems (whatever be the branch of engineering he/she is). Mostly all the students in India have the book “Quantitative Aptitude” written by R S Agarwal. (Hope it is fashionable). Downloading several dump questions from net and (mug-up) studying it. All is just for 1 reason “TO GET SELECT IN CAMPUS REQUIREMENT”.

When the day comes for campus requirements, it is media focus (India media is something unpredictable). Everyone goes to each and every corner. It’s not that all students get placed in campus requirement process. (Interestingly, the company which selects the students by campus requirements gives training to them for 5 – 6 months, then they are keeping test; then they are saying he/she is “unfit” / “not eligible” for IT sector; the big Q rises here is who is that intelligent HR panel who selected such candidates for their company). In a nutshell, the campus requirement prevented the B.E./M.SC., students to do higher education such as M.E. / M.TECH./PHD (Correspondence or week end education is totally waste in India).

Even the vice-chancellors of Indian Univ / Directors of IIT are so keen on giving the statistical report of how many students got placed in campus requirement. But they fail to give / even think, “Why India lacks in Research and Development?”

If we are like this giving always too much importance to one field alone, we can’t even compete with countries like Taiwan, The Philippines, Korea, Brazil, Germany etc…(Then where is the quest to compete with China and all)

Come out from the ‘drug’ IT field… The educationalists should come and say to the people that IT sector alone is not the one where people can survive.

Recent Example: Tamil Nadu Government called for VAO (Village Administrative Officer) Examination. (Minimum Qualification is XII Std only) But nearly 9 lakh people wrote this exam. And even some “Software Engineers”, “Hardware Engineers” too wrote this exam clearly reveals the people mind. Now days the people who are not working in IT sectors are treated as “untouchables” / “depressed class” in new India world. (A new type of system which prevails in India now)

Too much importance to IT sector will make INDIA IN TROUBLE…. (But it will not come into limelight)