IITM- A premier educational Institution in a forest. What can we learn?

IITM- A premier educational Institution in a forest. What can we learn?

Mangalore Today News Network

Dr. Bhamy V. Shenoy

Mangaluru, January 1, 2025: On December 27th 2024, I had an opportunity to participate in the first-ever diamond jubilee celebration of IITM. Only in 1964, there were two batches who graduated - the first batch of 1959  
and the second batch of 1960. This was because of the Chinese  aggression of 1962. India wanted to produce engineers quickly.  Most of them went abroad is a different story.  

I belonged to the second batch. All our holidays were cancelled  and we graduated six months earlier. First lesson is that we can  solve many of our problems if we dedicate ourselves to fight on war footing - giving world quality education to all, removal of  corruption, keeping our cities clean, etc.

Ours was the first batch to start occupying the campus. Our  seniors were put up in a hostel in Saidapet out of the campus.  We were told that our first director Dr. Sengupto had given the  strict orders to architects that buildings should be constructed around the existing trees and minimum number of trees to be  felled. 

After 64 years, I can now see the impact of the far reaching  decision of IITM’s first director. Forest today is denser than what  it was when we entered it first. Unlike today, environmental  protection was not on the national agenda. Lesson 2. All over the  country, when we need to build dams or construct roads or  broaden them, or housing colonies, how often we pay attention  to preserving the existing trees like Dr. Sengupto? Trees are felled  first - often even without securing the needed permits from the  forest department.

Wherever one goes in the campus from the entrance gate to the  far end of the campus, we see deers. Speed limit of 20 kms/hr is  strictly enforced with the violators having to pay Rs. 10000.  Lesson 3. Can Mysuru also insist on enforcing traffic laws  strictly? IIT Campus may be small and one can argue it is easier  to implement the traffic rule for a small campus. It is not the size of the area but the political will which is of critical importance. When we entered the campus in an auto, driver was warned of the fine and even en-route. Earlier he was driving on the busy  road of Chennai at such high speed I was scared.  

When we first entered the campus in 1960, there were about 500  deers and their population was increasing. Today there are about  about 150 deers as per 2022 census. We encountered them only while going on the roads. They never came close to the hostel.  Now they are all over and every where. In addition there are  monkeys. Seeing monkeys was a rare sight at that time. one of  the reasons for the decline in deer population is decreasing size  of grazing because of building activities.

We the pioneers were welcomed with signs of IITMAA ( IITM Alumni  Association) reunion all over the campus. When we entered the campus  in 1959 and 1960, we were energetic youths who could run and jump  and take active part in all athletic events. At 80, some of us need wheel  chairs. Often we could not even recognize our classmates with whom we  had spent five years in a forest. Lesson 4. When we were young, we  never think of the old age. Recently Dr. Devi Shetty had put a video with  the message for young and old. He stresses the need to practice yoga to  keep our joints in good shape. Since I was seeing many of friends for the  first time after 60 years, it was shocking to see them aged and some in  wheel chairs. Many were hockey players. Youths need not get  discouraged since aging is natural process. But they need to pay  attention to get ready for the old age by taking care of health when they  are young. It was by random chance in my village, I did asanas without  knowing how it may help in the future. It is definitely helping now.
 
When we were admitted, admission committee ensured that there were  students from each state of India to promote national integration. As a  result we always looked at us as Indians first and last. Caste unlike today was never an issue. Reservation was not even on the horizon. It was  indeed an era of Ram Rajya. Even now I was happy to learn even in the  absence of a policy to promote national integration, there are students  from all over India. In recent years, IITM is admitting foreign students  and attracting foreign faculties.

During the welcoming speech, IITM’s director, Dr. Kamakoti gave some  impressive facts to show how IITM is being ranked as number one  institution in Engineering category ever since national Institute ranking  started in 2016. IITM has a goal of securing at least one patent a day and  thus is highly ranked in research ranking also. In 2023-24 it had filed  419 patents. Students are encouraged to develop working models and  even work on start ups at IITM research park. IITM has a goal to reach  100 start ups next year. So far it has helped 365 start ups which had  cumulative value of Rs. 45000 crores.

It was exciting to know that IITM is working on carbon capture and  sequestration technology to solve existential problem faced by the  world.

New Education Policy has been implemented in true spirit when Karnataka state is going out of its way not to implement NEP. For  students more than 50% of courses are optional. Thus a civil engineering  student can take computer science, or physics majors can take  philosophy or history or economics course. How lucky are IITM  students and how unfortunate students studying in Mysuru because of  narrow political considerations. Lesson 5. Can our educational institutions despite the limitations put by the government can help the  students by implementing some aspects of NEP or at least demand the  state to adapt some beneficial aspects of NEP to help the students.  Students protest for all kinds of issues. Why not protest to implement a  progressive policy like NEP?  

Giving back to the society was stressed throughout our stay in the campus. This was not the case in the early years. There was not much  discussion of the responsibility of students to the alma mater or to the
society. This is indeed an encouraging development. Again in this  aspect, IITM ranks high. IITM alumni are generous in donating funds to  their alma mater which was Rs. 367 crores in 2023-24 from 960 alumni -  less than 2% of 56000 who have graduated from IITM. Any where one  goes in the campus it becomes obvious - alumni funded shuttle EV  buses, building blocks, food court, hostel renovation, research labs,  scholarships, etc. Lesson 6. All our educational institutions should try to  instill in their students from the first day of school/college why and how  they can help their alma mater when they start earning.
 
IITM has developed a program called Vidya shakti to help slow learners  to catch up with their peers. Since its starting in 2023, it has helped over  60000 students in Varanasi. IITM has been offering online BS courses in  Data Sciences and Artificial Intelligence for students since 2020. Already more than one lakh are enrolled in the course. These students  have flexibility to complete the course. They can leave the course any  time and join. As a result of this course many are able to learn huge  salaries. IITM has contracts with hiring companies. Lesson 7. Can our  engineering, management and universities offer online courses to help  the poor but bright students?  

In short IITM has been successful in promoting curiosity in students to  develop innovative technologies to solve technical, social and economic  problems facing the country. In conclusion, IITM has indeed been  striving to reach its vision: “ To be an academic institution in dynamic  equilibrium with the social, ecological, and economic environment  striving continuously for excellence in education, research and  technological service to the nation.”

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Dr. Bhamy V. Shenoy