Indian Education System

[AkshaySG]

One category that has seen very little progress (or even some backside) in the last 5-10 years has been college and professional entrance exams ( JEE, NEET, UPSC etc)

The advent of electronic testing centres with little oversight has exploded cheating and paper leak scandals.

We have done so much good with UPI and Aadhar when it comes to Infosec and identity resolution so the knowhow is there however the implementation is lacking

This JEE there were several cases of students scoring 20% in first attempt and 99.95% ins secomd attempt... Cases of hundreds of people at the same center scoring extremely high

Paper leaks and telegram accounts with exact details are common and it's just whether if the student is willing to pay or take the risk.

Same for NEET this week.
https://news.careers360.com/cancel-neet ... ts-demand

[Vayutuvan]

You can game JEE and NEET, leave alone Civil Services. There are coaching centers galore. This whole entrance exam stuff is a short cut to higher education. WHat is hard is to stiffen up public schools govt. schools) for K-12.

[AkshaySG]

You can game JEE and NEET, leave alone Civil Services. There are coaching centers galore. This whole entrance exam stuff is a short cut to higher education. WHat is hard is to stiffen up public schools govt. schools) for K-12.

You can game a lot sure but outright fraud is another level.. We used to hear these stories about Bihar/Up state board exams in 90s and 00s and now it's natuon

https://x.com/Aaryan_Prateek/status/1799766856741650477

Candidate fails Chem and Physics in 12th, Scores 705/720 in NEET

How many lakhs of people give NEET.. Add all their family members and folks associated in coaching/teaching and you will find that a good 2-3 % of the population every year is invested in these exams... If a good chunk of them get pissed off then that will show up in polls

[AkshaySG]

Aaand they ended up canceling this year's NEET results and will re do the exam
https://x.com/ANI/status/1803469451943383249

Went from nothing is wrong to a few irregularities but still fine to issues with NTA but overall no re-test to Full retest.
Could have taken it seriously to begin with but better this than nothing.

Hopefully they will take some steps towards eliminating this fraud in other entrance exams too

[A Deshmukh]

Aaand they ended up canceling this year's NEET results and will re do the exam
https://x.com/ANI/status/1803469451943383249

Went from nothing is wrong to a few irregularities but still fine to issues with NTA but overall no re-test to Full retest.
Could have taken it seriously to begin with but better this than nothing.

Hopefully they will take some steps towards eliminating this fraud in other entrance exams too

Only NET exam (for junior research assistants and asst. professors) is canceled. not NEET.

[KL Dubey]

^^ Yes. Too much misinformation and self-goals.

This is a good summary of the latest on all aspects of this matter:

https://indianexpress.com/article/educa ... s-9401264/

[KL Dubey]

https://www.business-standard.com/india ... 406_1.html

One of the 4 accused in the Bihar NEET exam leak is one Nitish Kumar. Trying his hand somewhere else after politics ?

Off-topic: it looks like Nitishwa's health is starting to get erratic. He is showing similar odd behaviors as Naveen Pattanaik, i.e. random facial mannerisms, unexpected actions....he suddenly grabbed Modi's hand while sitting on the dais and was examining his voting ink mark.

[Amber G.]

Arvind graduated from IIT Kanpur just couple of years after I did..

The dedicated teacher and academic leader transformed research in computer architectures, parallel computing, and digital design, enabling faster and more efficient computation.
RIP
Arvind, longtime MIT professor and prolific computer scientist, dies at 77

[hgupta]

Arvind graduated from IIT Kanpur just couple of years after I did..

The dedicated teacher and academic leader transformed research in computer architectures, parallel computing, and digital design, enabling faster and more efficient computation.
RIP
Arvind, longtime MIT professor and prolific computer scientist, dies at 77

So you are indirectly saying that you are close to 80.

[Sicanta]

NEET PG postponed night before the exam. Could have done this earlier instead of inconveniencing the students.

NTA Director removed.

After NET- UGC, NEET paper leak case also handed to CBI.

Govt has been on backfoot during the entire period and has been reactive only. All the above actions after so much furore remind me of Manmohan era when the Govt used to defend the indefensible.

[Amber G.]

IIT Bombay has imposed a penalty of Rs 1.2 lakh each on graduating students, who participated in a play titled ‘Raahovan’ during the institute’s Performing Arts Festival.

[Vayutuvan]

IIT Bombay has imposed a penalty of Rs 1.2 lakh each on graduating students, who participated in a play titled ‘Raahovan’ during the institute’s Performing Arts Festival.

Why? What are the contents of that play? Seems to be muzzling artistic expression.

[A_Gupta]

https://news.abplive.com/education/iit- ... ta-1696948

In one viral video, a student playing Sita praises her "kidnapper" and the place she was taken to, sparking significant backlash and debate. The controversy grew on social media when the 'IIT B for Bharat' group criticised the play on April 8, 2024 calling it a mockery of Lord Ram and the Ramayana. The group shared video clips of the performance, claiming that the students used their academic freedom to make fun of Hindu culture.

——-

The problem IMO arises when freedom of expression is selectively applied. While I have deep misgivings about this fine, until people feel equally free to express themselves on e.g., RoP, I am not going to say too much.

----
Added: here is the problem as I see it. At least this restriction on free expression was done through a formal process. If Hindus are denied any formal process in the name of freedom of expression, while RoPers rely on mob attacks or assassination attempts (e.g., Nupur Sharma, or as on Salman Rushdie), then a faction of Hindus will also say that violence is the only answer. The less bad alternative is to have such fines, etc. Maybe one day India will have more freedom of expression, one can work towards that.

[Amber G.]

India’s rising visibility in the @timeshighered world rankings is remarkable, driven by Modi’s internationalisation reforms. A record 133 Indian universities have submitted to the 2025 rankings - up from 42 in 2017 - making India the 4th best represented in the world.

[Amber G.]

From today's Indian Express:

From IIT Kanpur alum ( a friend) and Oregon State University President:
With an expanding Indian diaspora on campus, the Oregon State University (OUS) is aiming to expand its footprint in India with more collaborations with Indian institutes

‘IIT Kanpur opened up a world for me; hope to collaborate more with Indian universities’: Oregon State University President

Both, IIT Kanpur and Delhi have research work going on in areas that are important to Oregon State University as well. One example is in climate science, sustainability, and environmental energy. We came with the hope of learning about what they (the IITs) are doing about it, and get opportunities for our faculty members to collaborate with Indian faculty, have joint workshops, and more.

Further, we are in conversations with IIT Delhi, Hyderabad and Madras.

[Amber G.]

IIT Madras has received the largest single donation in its history of Rs. 228 Crore from its Distinguished Alumnus Awardee Dr. Krishna Chivukula (MTech, 1970). This donation, one of the largest ever made to an educational institution in India. The institute named an Academic Block in honour of Dr. Krishna Chivukula - ‘Krishna Chivukula Block’ - during an event at the campus today (6th August 2024).

Dr. Krishna Chivukula in 1997 brought to India a state-of-the-art engineering manufacturing technology called ‘Metal Injection Molding (MIM)’ while it was still an emerging technology in the U.S. Presently his company, the INDO US MIM Tec, occupies the number one position in the world in MIM technology in terms of capacity and sales and has a projected turnover of nearly Rs. 1,000 Crore. IIT Madras recognized his professional excellence and contributions to the community by conferring the ‘Distinguished Alumnus Award’ during 2015.

IIT Madras raised a historic high of Rs. 513 Crore during 2023-24, a 135% increase from the previous financial year. In recent years, IIT Madras has emerged as a National Leader in ‘Tech Driven CSR’ through which the Institute is translating the cutting-edge research underway in its labs to actual products that benefit the society and country at large with support from the Alumni, Donors and Corporate firms.

[ernest]

This talk from Karthik Muralidharan touches upon the dysfunction of Indian education system, even after spending very high amounts on public education. This is 3rd episode of his talk with Muskesh Bansal, where he dives into the content of his book "Accelerating India's Development".

@Deans ji, he touches upon the impact of non-detention policy leading to poor learning outcomes at every grade. Very similar to the situation that you had described in one of your blog posts. His research backs your writing about the challenges and the opportunities arising out of it for the Indian education system.

[Amber G.]

For the first time, IITKanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Bombay, IIT Roorkee, and IIT Madras are collaborating to bring you BRAHMASTRA 2024, the ultimate case study competition for all Undergraduate Students. This is your chance to dive deep into future-focused public policy challenges and craft innovative solutions that will shape the nation.

Exciting Highlights:
-No registration Fees
-Cash Prize worth Rs.30k
-Exciting goodies and PPIs
-Exclusive Networking Dinner with top teams, organizers, judges, and guests from our title sponsor

For more details and registration, please visit:
https://unstop.com/competitions/brahmas ... b=mDTUNVXM

[ernest]

We can take it to Indian Education dhaga. It is important to discuss these aspects of the Indian Defense/Civil research burocracy.
...
.....I think discussing this issue further in the Edu thread would be useful for a large number of lurkers in BRF. I am hoping that there are a number of people in BRF who can guide the policymakers and the powers that be in India.

following up from the discussion in India-US relations thread.

I know that a decent number of researchers are returning to India for research career or teaching. The trend is stronger than past, and is clearly visible.

One important aspect is economic. The salaries for talented individuals in India is easily affording them an upper middle class lifestyle. While in the US, researchers and academics get stuck in salaries that are around per capita level. It makes sense for a good portion to get a research/academic position in India. A professor in any Indian govt institute has housing provided for and salaries of grade A officer (way over per capita).

Want to know your thoughts on this?

[Cyrano]

This is how I see it:

Many genuinely accomplished experts in the diaspora be it in CompSci, maths, physics, chemistry, medicine and a host of related fields are considering R2I - which is of course an excellent thing.

There could be several reasons for this:
- To take care of aging parents and family members
- To take care of ancestral property
- To bring their children live experience of living in India and Indian culture (and away from the excesses of western culture)
- To contribute back to their mother land
Etc, all understandable and noble

This is not a totally new phenomenon. We had illustrious people like Homi Bhabha, Nambi Narayanan and many many more, a lot of them are unsung heroes out of public limelight.

What has India offered them in the past?
Under favorable heads of govt, usually, the opportunity to build or lead an institution or field of research which is of strategic importance to the objectives of the nation.

Which means a semi sarkari job with its associated bureaucracy, red tape, processes, oversight etc. In such a set up, there are incredible institutions like ISRO, ADA etc and those that produce questionable results like GTRE.

For a NRI expert considering R2I all this is known before hand. So landing back in India and taking up a position can't just be an emotional leap of faith, but has to be a conscious and aware decision that challenges abound and the person has a strategy and mindset to deal with it and forge a path to success.

Since a few years there are opportunities opening up in the private sector as well, with policy changes in defense and space sectors.

If the R2I is to a govt funded institution, then the salary and associated perks must be evaluated in PPP terms.

If the R2I is to take up a position in a private institution then the law of the market applies which the person is surely familiar. Despite the recent efforts to make the country business friendly India has some distance to go.

R2I attempts can become complicated and stressful if one has unrealistic expectations, in terms of earnings, quality of life, institutional culture, risk appetite and freedom of decision making regarding one's own job and that of one's colleagues and broadly the ecosystem.

If one is not prepared to be patient and look beyond the core field of expertise to see the bigger picture and realise the mission is broader than the scientific and technological breakthrough aims then disappointment if not disillusionment is likely.

There could be a "diva" syndrome in some cases but I'd like to believe those are one off cases among R2Is and need no discussion.

JMT...

[Suraj]

China has a long history of encouraging their best and brightest to return, and this is an institutionalized process of cultivating technological capabilities for the long term. The earliest of their endeavors here was the Qian Xuesen episode. Within the first half decade of their existence, they established precedent in actively seeking out their brightest minds and ensuring they could thrive locally - even if they were unable to monetarily support them as a western job might do. He's the progenitor of their Dong Feng missiles and Long March rockets. Nowadays they have a lot of money to throw of course.

Clearly, such a process in India must be broadbased, with top down support from local institutions all the way to national level. There are several pull factors that would motivate top minds to return, and they can and should be actively courted and encouraged to return. But this requires systematic planning and support. Historically, our system has not been good at this.

[isubodh]

China has a long history of encouraging their best and brightest to return, and this is an institutionalized process of cultivating technological capabilities for the long term. The earliest of their endeavors here was the Qian Xuesen episode. Within the first half decade of their existence, they established precedent in actively seeking out their brightest minds and ensuring they could thrive locally - even if they were unable to monetarily support them as a western job might do. He's the progenitor of their Dong Feng missiles and Long March rockets. Nowadays they have a lot of money to throw of course.

Clearly, such a process in India must be broadbased, with top down support from local institutions all the way to national level. There are several pull factors that would motivate top minds to return, and they can and should be actively courted and encouraged to return. But this requires systematic planning and support. Historically, our system has not been good at this.

This mostly means segregation of top brains which goes against the social representation in any govt supported institution.
Similarly any subjective pick and appointment is also challenged on fair process and social representation. Then the political interference kicks in.
Only if capabilities in private sector to utilize such talent can be created then it can be worked out.

[ernest]

China has a long history of encouraging their best and brightest to return, and this is an institutionalized process of cultivating technological capabilities for the long term. The earliest of their endeavors here was the Qian Xuesen episode. Within the first half decade of their existence, they established precedent in actively seeking out their brightest minds and ensuring they could thrive locally - even if they were unable to monetarily support them as a western job might do. He's the progenitor of their Dong Feng missiles and Long March rockets. Nowadays they have a lot of money to throw of course.

That was an informative nugget on how a similarly sized power attracted their best. our policy makers should definitely study this, and implement those policies that can be replicated within our system.

Clearly, such a process in India must be broadbased, with top down support from local institutions all the way to national level. There are several pull factors that would motivate top minds to return, and they can and should be actively courted and encouraged to return. But this requires systematic planning and support. Historically, our system has not been good at this.

As you point out our system has been historically bad at this, and it will not be easy or an optimal use of our govt policy-changing potential. We should have a private sector heavy approach for returning talent, with govt occupying some niches. More on it below.

This mostly means segregation of top brains which goes against the social representation in any govt supported institution.
Similarly any subjective pick and appointment is also challenged on fair process and social representation. Then the political interference kicks in.
Only if capabilities in private sector to utilize such talent can be created then it can be worked out.

Echo this. Social justice priorities mean that we cannot invite high achievers in the government sector. It is a minefield that will be very difficult for any government to navigate.

With the right incentives, e.g., making it easy and lucrative to run a startup in technology and high economic impact fields, we can have the private sector lay out the red carpet for talented individuals. I am already seeing this happening where Indian companies/startups have founders/employees with international experience. Even in aerospace sector, we have examples like Sarla Aviation. In CompSci/AI (including hardware), many startups have founding team returning after research/experience in foreign companies/universities.

Government cannot match the pull offered due to capability and incentives from the private sector. It also has the benefit of market driven efficiencies, and freedom to switch/pivot. In the govt sector,, individuals recruited for one purpose find it very frustrating to switch/pivot, even if they have great ideas. The returning individuals have very high impact due to exposure to wide range of ideas and best practices, and they are an attractive investment for companies as well. They often create opportunities that were unviable earlier in the country (e.g, Bayraktar).

Unleashing the potential of our private sector, and making it easy to do business in India will have the desired relocation effects, and govt should prioritize (as it is doing) this. This is not to say that we should not try to attract the best from overseas in our government / academia. Private sector has little incentive in fundamental science research, and some other fields, where govt will have have to do bulk of talent management, within the usual limitations of the govt setup. One area where Indian govt has done great is with DPI (with inputs from pvt volunteer groups like iSpirit). Shuld try to replicate it where possible.

[Cyrano]

[ernest]

Thanks for sharing this, Cyranoji. This video echoes the observations of many around me. Especially, the part about growth. For Indians stuck on visa for decades, India is more attractive for financial growth as well. US is losing a lot of motivated and talented individuals due to the large green card backlog

[Amber G.]

Big boost to making education more accessible.
The Cabinet has approved the PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme to support youngsters with quality education.
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2071131

[Amber G.]

xpost:
I have covered news and problems of many International Mathematical Olympiads here in this [math] dhaga And encouraged and mentored many young minds ..

Glad to see that now there e is Special program for students who qualify or do good for olympiad to get direct admission to IIT. (Even without JEE).

We have announced a new admission pathway for our BTech and BS programs, based on performance in International Olympiads. Starting with the academic year 2025-26, this initiative seeks to recognize exceptionally talented students who have excelled in highly competitive international Olympiads in subjects such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Informatics.

Under this program, IIT Kanpur will offer reserved seats in five departments: Biological Sciences & Bioengineering, Computer Science & Engineering, Chemistry, Economic Sciences, and Mathematics & Statistics. Admission through this route will allow a limited number of seats per department specifically for students who have undergone rigorous preparation and training in relevant Olympiad camps. This initiative offers a unique opportunity for those students who wish to pursue their passion in these areas at one of India’s leading institutions, bypassing the traditional JEE (Advanced) route.

Kudos to IIT Director.

Link: https://iitk.ac.in/doaa/data/Notificati ... mpiads.pdf

[Amber G.]

May be interest to some:
SATHEE, an initiative by IIT Kanpur and the Ministry of Education, introduces a 45-day intensive crash course specifically tailored for students preparing for the JEE Mains January 2025 exam.

The Crash Course will start from November 11, 2024. The crash course will provide students with targeted resources, structured and focussed study plans to enhance their preparation for the upcoming highly competitive JEE Mains examination.

The 45-day crash course on SATHEE offers a range of educational tools and resources. Key features include live online sessions conducted daily from 3 pm to 6 pm, led by experienced students who will cover critical topics and problem-solving strategies. Additionally, the course includes daily practice questions, allowing students to reinforce their learning and apply concepts in a practical context. A specially curated Mock Test series is also available to help students simulate the real exam environment, build confidence, and assess their exam readiness.

A standout feature of the SATHEE crash course is the integration of AI-powered analytics, which offers personalized feedback based on each student's performance. This feature helps students identify strengths and target specific areas for improvement, enabling them to optimize their study strategies and approach the exam with a more refined understanding.
Link:https://sathee.iitk.ac.in/