‘Don’t dilute brand IIT, but bring more foreign faculty’

Students, faculty and alumni of one of India’s premier institution Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) have given a thumbs down to more such institutions being started in the country but a thumbs up to bringing in more faculty from foreign countries.
This has been the result of the first online global poll conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Alumni Association (IITBAA) called “Poll Khul Gayi: IIT Bombay Community Speaks” that was released recently.
According to an IITBAA spokesperson, the poll consisted of 10 important questions pertaining to IIT that have been in the news lately and had 1,900 respondents spanning 20 countries from across the world participating in the poll. “Barring responses sought during the Kakodkar committee deliberations, IITBAA knows of no other similar exercise conducted at any other IIT,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that an overwhelming 78 per cent shot down the recent proposal to change the format of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). Interestingly, on eight of the 10 issues, all students, alumni and faculty voted in favour of the winning answer with support ranging from 65 per cent to 83 per cent. On the other two questions, opinion was very evenly divided. Surprisingly, 78 per cent of the polled were also not in favour of setting up more IITs, as it would dilute the brand. Sixty-five per cent were also of the opinion that reservations for SC/ST and OBCs should be done away with while 80 per cent agreed that the rapid increase in student intake and resultant stress on infrastructure has affected student and faculty morale as well as output.
Alongside, 77 per cent polled in favour of greater financial autonomy to IITs while 83 per cent said
IITs should hire foreign faculty.
The only two questions that saw the respondents differ in opinion was on the question of hiking fees as recommended by the Kakodkar committee and whether IITs should allow private investments and managements in its affairs. Interestingly, the maximum divergence of views was within the faculty members while the students and alumni were very similar in their opinions.

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