20/06/09

indian institutions of dissembling

In a presentation to the IIM-B Board of Governors (BoG), Dean (Administration) Prof B Mahadevan said that the funds were necessary for “strengthening research activities, enlarging the scale of internationalisation and for enhancing support to students.” The presentation also made it clear that the government, despite committing Rs 30 crore towards other backward caste expansion plans, could not be looked into for funding.So far, the government has released only Rs 10.67 crore to IIM-B towards this cause.
Rs.30 crores for other backward caste expansion plans? the funds were promised because the number of seats were to be increased. and the seats were increased because the government didn't want any reduction in the general category seats because of increase in reserved seats. so the expansion was to accommodate the general category seats- where do the backward caste students come into the budgeting picture?

if the increase in budget was to be apportioned, by any truthful accounting norms, only a small portion of it could be pinned on the obc students (the increase in overall number of seats would mean that a few of them would also benefit from it) because most of it would go towards ensuring that the same number of general category students, as earlier, would get admitted.

unless the government of india and the iim-b believe the obcs are foreign nationals from, say, pakistan, and are being admitted as a part of a confidence building measure to improve relations betwen the two countries. and because indian nationals cannot be deprived of their seats, the overall capacity of the institution is being increased, and hence the increase in budget.

this isn't the first time- the media has consistently tried to play this ugly game of reminding the people of the costs of the government's reluctant positive discrimination projects. if the obcs, as the media seems to suggest, should foot the bill for the increase in seats, who were paying for all the seats until now? the people of india or only the members of certain meritorious castes?

or, are only members of certain
meritorious castes the people of india?

finally, what do these budget-increasing-students expect to learn at these places where the teachers spout such half-truths and lies? if they haven't already learned the one valuable lesson that's already being repeatedly taught, through the media, even before they enter these institutions: that they're not wanted, are a burden? that their citizenship is provisional, at best?

shame on the obcs. shame on the obcs for not realizing that these are the kind of institutions that keep them obcs.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2009/06/21/stories/2009062150010100.htm

kuffir said...

anon,

do you have nothing to say on how the govt is wasting so much money on the obcs?

kuffir said...

'some simple arithmetic would tell him that not even 2% of rural india could have benefitted from this display of care. and i'm not even talking about leakages.'

Anonymous said...

huh? i wasn't commenting on your post, just passing the article along, which was not a sign of my personal seal of approval of its contents either.

dunn, if even posting an article link is an occasion for you to show off your hackles, i really wonder about what you leave comments open for.

nevermind, i'll shup up now.

Smoke Screen said...

Spot on, kuffir. Very little of that pie - seats for students/positions for faculty - will be for the OBCs. Like much else, tokenism.

Truly admire the way you blog so relentlessly about these things.

anu said...

>>the people of india or only the members of certain meritorious castes?

People of India. Would that include the maid, the peanut seller, the auto driver, the butcher -paying tax on match boxes, rice, salt and dhal are also paying for the IIT’s? God, then they will turn out to be OBC’s and other things and want to send their children to these places, using those horrendous reservations the good governments come up with. We should let the media carry on with its noble pursuit; otherwise it will be war on merit, no?

Here is Delhi University one step ahead:

“This year, there are 49,000 seats -- 7,000 more than last year -- to ensure OBC quota doesn't affect general category students.
"If the reserved seats don't get filled in they will be open for the General category," said Dr Gulshan Sawhney, Associate Professor, Delhi University.

After all those protests and the teething problems in it's implementation, the OBC quota is in it's second year. And with more number of seats it's a win-win situation for both -- the OBC and the General category students.”

Additional seats, plus unfilled OBC's seats, but win-win...!

@Smokescreen,
do you think relentless blogging on such topics by a tiny fraction of Indian bloggers has an impact? It upsets a few, who imagine they are liberal, beyond that...?

SS said...

anu:

Would rather not comment on the impact point you raise because I think one needs some factual basis to say that something has or hasn't an impact. I was speaking at a personal level. The blog disturbs me (and some others I've introduced to it) out of complacency and into thinking. And for me that is always a good thing.

anu said...

SS,

No, I was not asking for quantifiable impact, but the kind you talk of by itself is a terrific achievement for a single blog. I read this blog as a source of inspiration, my patience levels being dismal I often want to take leave of the internet altogether. Blogs present the tiniest crack for the expression of alternate views such as the ones covered here and your personal, honest answer to my query is very significant and I deeply appreciate your taking the time to answer it. Thanks :)

PM said...

Dear Anu,

I would like to echo SS's comment in saying that this blog and yours have had the same effect on me.

Regards,

PM

anu said...

Dear PM, you are kind, thank you :). I would love to write about things that bring a smile, I try hard to visualize the positive moments in the lives of the marginalized...!

Kuffir, inspiration to disagree that is (just in case you thought I’ll stop disagreeing with stuff here) :)

kuffir said...

anon,

i'm sorry but if you choose to post anonymously, i can never tell whether you're a genuine reader or one of those trolls who haunt this blog.

smokescreen/pm/anu,

you're all very kind.

 
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