Monday, May 29, 2006
Reservations II
Just returned from a quaint little village close to Alibaug. What I love about this village is firstly that it gives me a sense of calm, that I seem to lose, from time to time, in the hustle-bustle of city life. This continues to lure me back to this village very regularly.
What really enhances this feeling of calm is the absence of newspapers anywhere in the vicinity of the village. With the current fad of sensationalisation among newspapers, I think this is a boon. Yes, they have TV, so they do get the news, but they are so engrossed in their daily routine that they have no time to discuss the rise and fall of the sensex, or the rising death toll of terrorism worldwide, or any other such useless issue. So also are they not ruffled by the ongoing ruckus about reservations.
When I returned, I found, much to my dismay, that our 'esteemed' PM had bowed down to the demands of these pro-reservationist allies of his, and reneged on his promise to implement the reserevations in a phased manner. Then comes the news that to appease the general category medical students, the general category seats wil be increased.
How do these two things compare? A village where people are yet to hear about graduation, let alone reservations for graduation and PG, and a govt that, supposedly keeping the people's aspirations in mind, wants to bring up the backward castes (not the backward masses!)
I would like to suggest a solution. The govt may have forgotten that it runs something called the Indian Technical Institute- ITI. The ITI, long neglected, I feel, performs a much more important job than the IITs and the IIM, and other institutes of higher learning - it trains people in the basics of most of the mechanical appliances used in homes, appliances like refrigerators, mixers and grinders, ACs, water supply systems, electric wiring, and so on. Most of those who are trained at the ITIs donot have the financial wherewithal to go abroad. But what the ITIs offer them is financial independence, much like a Self Help Group. It charges nowhere near what the IITs and the IIMs charge, yet it performs the MOST important job of bringing up the backward masses silently, and more importantly so, successfully.
But the ITIs are not provided regular financial support by the govt, which is why their teaching is getting outdated. The faculty in these institutes train their wards in modern systems on their own. They arrange for modern appliances from their contacts in the industry. This costs some money, which goes from their pockets. I would like our 'esteemed' PM and his colleagues to provide stable support to the ITIs so that they can keep up with the times. Remember, when our ACs malfunction, when our water pipes clog, or when we need the mixer/ grinder to be fixed, it is these ITI- trained technicians who'll help us out - not an IIT engineer. By establishing more such institutions, the govt can keep its NCMP commitment of bringing up the backward masses, and yet not antagonise any section of the population. From my viewpoint, it could be a win-win situation for the govt.
Any suggestions, critiques, comments on this solution are welcome.
What really enhances this feeling of calm is the absence of newspapers anywhere in the vicinity of the village. With the current fad of sensationalisation among newspapers, I think this is a boon. Yes, they have TV, so they do get the news, but they are so engrossed in their daily routine that they have no time to discuss the rise and fall of the sensex, or the rising death toll of terrorism worldwide, or any other such useless issue. So also are they not ruffled by the ongoing ruckus about reservations.
When I returned, I found, much to my dismay, that our 'esteemed' PM had bowed down to the demands of these pro-reservationist allies of his, and reneged on his promise to implement the reserevations in a phased manner. Then comes the news that to appease the general category medical students, the general category seats wil be increased.
How do these two things compare? A village where people are yet to hear about graduation, let alone reservations for graduation and PG, and a govt that, supposedly keeping the people's aspirations in mind, wants to bring up the backward castes (not the backward masses!)
I would like to suggest a solution. The govt may have forgotten that it runs something called the Indian Technical Institute- ITI. The ITI, long neglected, I feel, performs a much more important job than the IITs and the IIM, and other institutes of higher learning - it trains people in the basics of most of the mechanical appliances used in homes, appliances like refrigerators, mixers and grinders, ACs, water supply systems, electric wiring, and so on. Most of those who are trained at the ITIs donot have the financial wherewithal to go abroad. But what the ITIs offer them is financial independence, much like a Self Help Group. It charges nowhere near what the IITs and the IIMs charge, yet it performs the MOST important job of bringing up the backward masses silently, and more importantly so, successfully.
But the ITIs are not provided regular financial support by the govt, which is why their teaching is getting outdated. The faculty in these institutes train their wards in modern systems on their own. They arrange for modern appliances from their contacts in the industry. This costs some money, which goes from their pockets. I would like our 'esteemed' PM and his colleagues to provide stable support to the ITIs so that they can keep up with the times. Remember, when our ACs malfunction, when our water pipes clog, or when we need the mixer/ grinder to be fixed, it is these ITI- trained technicians who'll help us out - not an IIT engineer. By establishing more such institutions, the govt can keep its NCMP commitment of bringing up the backward masses, and yet not antagonise any section of the population. From my viewpoint, it could be a win-win situation for the govt.
Any suggestions, critiques, comments on this solution are welcome.
// posted by Sam J @ 8:57 pm 
