Shailesh Jain '98 writes:
Hi all
This mail is to intimate you all another instance of secondary treatment to IT BHU. It's more painful since it has come from no other than the most trusted and largest group(in size) i.e. Tatas. Tata group is undertaking an initiative to consolidate the data of all IITans under the roll of its various group companies. And as usual IT BHU has no place here too, even when a second grade institute like Roorkie managed to get in just because of that illusive I. It's high time we pitch in our voice, if we want to preserve our identity.
I, on my part, did make the highest authorities aware of this descrepancy. But Mr. R. GopalKrishnan, executive director Tata Sons, doesn't seem to be impressed. So I call upon all IT BHU alumni currently employed in Tata companies to come forward and join hands in preparing a draft presentation to put our case. To know more about this, you can log in to our internal web site www.tataworld.com.
I must also inform you that this battle doesn't stop here. Tata's initiative is part of an effort by IIT allumni,of likes Rajat Gupta, Deveshwar,Banga,Murty,to create an umbrella organisation of the alumni associations of the different IITs, called the PanIIT. I guess we have a bigger battle in waiting.
Thanks. Sugestions invited
Shailesh Jain
980429
Shailesh,
Yours is a very passionate mail about secondary treatment to IT BHU. I am writing this mail so as to clarify some issues and also to tell/guide you about what is happening on the ITBHU to IIT-BHU project. I am also marking this mail to IT BHU Yahoogroups to make many alums aware of the gound reality and also to some interested alumni with whom I have exchanged mails on this issue for some time.
1. Issue Number 2 first : Creating a Brand of IT BHU, IMHO is a very huge task and the funds, alumni base required is very high whereas IIT is already an established brand (did anyone see one the latest Dilbert cartoons on the same?) and has a huge alumni base and following worldwide. IIT branding automatically means global recognition. IIT- Roorkee is good example. So,again IMHO, it makes sense to get the IIT status.
2. Issue Number 1 : IIT Status. The latest on this is that the BHU executive council has passed a resolution giving autonomy to IT BHU, which by what we understand so far is that faculty recruitment and funds utilisation in IT BHU may become better. Prof Rao, who is the current VC, has lent as much support as possible to this issue.
Next step in the process is that the Institute has to send in a formal request for the same to Union HRD Minister and I guess that has still not been taken up. Once the file is in the ministry then it becomes a political decision. The PM in his I-Day speech promised 2 more IITs. One in Jabalpur and one in Kerala (Elections in MP are coming up !!!). UP as a state already has one IIT and Uttaranchanl has another one - IIT Roorkee. Prof. MM Joshi has been supportive in public meetings and in private discussions with him but he is also governed by Vote Bank Politics and incidently as of now, he has resigned (due to Babri Masjid Case).
We had formed an Alumni Association for IT BHU last year and formally registered the same. One of the main objectives has been the IIT conversion. Some of our very senior members and CMDs of various companies have used their good offices to influence the HRD Minister, the VC and the Director and continue to do so. Efforts are still on to get BHU MPs to write to HRD Minister. A letter campaign has also been done and Mr. Debashihs Bhattacharya had requested the alumni to write in their individual capacities also. I agree this is very minimal but it is a start. We need more high profile people working on the same especially in Delhi. Some positives that have resulted from the political lobbying and PR exercises is that the move to debar IT BHU from IIT JEE has been pre empted. Some good press coverage for IT BHU Convocation where N. R. Murthy had come. Many alumni members from India and abroad have come to help in whatever manner they can.
I am in complete agreement that it is our right to ask for IIT status as we have been taking in students via JEE since 1973-4 and for the last two years our India Today ranking has been 7th/8th.
If anyone is aware of an Alumni member from IT BHU with the same stature as Kanwal Rekhi, Rajat Gupta etc....we should make him/her the spearhead of the movement, that would surely help.
I hope to interact with you on the same. Debashish, Mech 1982, who is the secretary of the Association of IT BHU Alumni can be reached at info@itbhualumni.org
Thanks,
Arvind
Posted by: Arvind Gupta ECE92 on September 19, 2003 03:46 PM
However, let's not get over-sentimental by accusing the third parties like Tata Sons and the PanIIT movement of unfairness. The fact is ITBHU is not an IIT. IIT alumni have every right to organize themselves first as an individual campus -- some of them have successfully done for twenty years to get here -- and then as the panIIT movement starting this year.
What we can do is: a) learn from the organizational skills of IIT alumni, and b) direct our demand for the IIT status towards the government of India, the involved party here.
Directing ire at the panIIT movement or worse at third parties like Tata Sons who are making a directory of IIT graduates is neither making friends nor making positive progress.
On a) above, let's first get organized. Let's form solid, forward-looking regional chapters that can sustain for years to come. Let's keep the focus on "acting locally" -- that can be the chapter in your own city or own class or department. You can attach the chapter to www.ITBHU.org following the simple guidelines and conduct the activities under its space. Many chapters are already taking shape. There are heartwarming stories about alumni groups actually contributing to the institute, to students and by networking with other alumni. That should encourage everyone to continue contributing while we organize better. We can't get respect by focusing only on the IIT issue and feeling insulted every time somebody reiterates the fact that we are not an IIT.
On b), Arvind and his organization have done a lot of ground work. ITBHU.org will be contributing more to these efforts. We agree that becoming an IIT is in our best interests. However, this does not contradict with our efforts to build the ITBHU brand through the above activites and through our individual excellence, whereever we are.
Shailesh, are you sure BHU is coming in the way here? Is that a guess or a fact. If it is latter, let's all know the details.
Thanks folks,
Sanjay.
PS. Let's not knock Roorkee down. It is neither based on facts nor a smart thing to say.
Posted by: Sanjay Dani CSE87 on September 19, 2003 04:36 PM
Here is the line to the article on yahoo. Read the bottom most part :
http://in.news.yahoo.com/030815/43/26yur.html
Thanks,
Rajneesh CSE '95
Posted by: Rajneesh on September 20, 2003 04:03 PM
b) PM has talked about setting up new NITs. As far as I know, NITs have been announced for Surat (Gujarat), Jabalpur (MP), Calicut (Kerala) & Durgapur (WB). Total 16 NITs are planned in different states by converting RECs.
c) As I stated in my article (IT vs. IIT) and comments, official demand for IIT should come from UP state government (as required by IIT Act). Since other states (such as Andhra Pradesh) are also waiting for fight, this will not be an easy task. However, we should try our best.
Yogesh Upadhyaya Chemical 1977
Posted by: yogesh upadhyaya on September 21, 2003 09:32 AM
I hate to say this : Although we are part if iitiim.com we are not part of the NIHILANTH contest to be held in IIM indore between IITs and IIMs. This quiz/fest is well advertised on iitiim.com and probably the site is one of the forces behind it.
thanks,rajneesh
Posted by: Rajneesh CSE'95 on September 21, 2003 08:47 PM
-Vibhore
Posted by: Vibhore on October 1, 2003 07:19 AM
This is an interesting article.
IITs propose to set up shops abroad
We must sound out the Indian Govt and the Council of IITs whether this expansion plan includes more IITs within India -- whether starting anew or converting an existing institution into one -- too.
In the past few months, HRD ministry has turned down requests for new IITs from Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal state governments, stating that it is too expensive to set up a new IIT and that West Bengal already has an IIT. This does not mean that no new IIT will be set up or that an existing one (such as BHU-IT) will not be converted into an IIT (which will cost a fraction compared to new one). IIT Act requires that an offical request for IIT should come from respective state government. Hence we should all pressure UP state government to pass a resolution and forward our demand to central government.
Yogesh Upadhyaya Chemical 1977.
Posted by: yogesh upadhyaya on September 21, 2003 09:14 AM