Ramesh’s IIT remarks not based on facts: Sibal

NEW DELHI: This had to happen, the Government could not allow the image of its biggest education brands --the IITs and the IIMs-- be dented by one of its own ministers. So three days after Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at the faculties at the IITs and IIMs, Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal gave it back to him saying that the remark was not borne out by facts.

Ramesh, on May 23, kicked up a storm claiming that the faculties at the premier IITs and IIMs are not world class, but the students are. Sibal on Thursday preferred to demolish Jairam’s argument at a specially convened GOM Media briefing. He said, “The discourses on these premier institutes should be based on evidence and not on perceptions.”

Sibal said he has “complete trust in the creative potential of the faculty of IITs”. Almost matching Ramesh wit-for-wit, Sibal added, “Well, 25 percent of the IIT faculties are IIT-products who have done their BTech, et al. Surely the 25 percent students who are world class students, must also be world class faculty.”

Interestingly, before Sibal could come out in defense of the IIT faculties, another prominent Congress Union Minister, Salman Khurshid, had actually backed Ramesh and his right to free speech.

“The atmosphere in which academic free exchange can take place are different from official statements made by a minister,” Khurshid had said.  Little wonder that he chose to stay away from the Thursday’s media briefing as he was earlier scheduled to. His presence would have brought forth the simmering differences within the Union Cabinet on the issue.

Sibal said that the comment made by Ramesh must be seen in the light of the general view within the community that the caliber of contributions by the scientific community does not really match world standards. He pointed out if the IITs have not gained the critical mass to change the global scientific discourse, it is because of the ecosystem and not because of the faculties. Sibal said that one cannot blame the faculty.

“While the US spends 250 billion dollars on research, India spends around 8 billion dollars. You cannot create that critical mass. That’s not because of faculty,” he added.  He reminded that originally IITs were meant to produce BTech graduates and there was a gradual realisation that they should also go for path- breaking research and produce more MTech students.