IITs are in trouble. The human resource development ministry has initiated a brilliant pincer movement that first seeks to control and then to destroy them. If reports are to be believed, and given the kite flying taking place at the HRD ministry I will reserve my judgment till it actually happens, India will have at least 19 Indian Institutes of Technology pretty soon and maybe 30 within the next few years.

It reminds me of Jagmohan Dalmiya’s coup against the establishment in 1996. To break the stranglehold of Australia and England over the International Cricket Council, Dalmiya effectively bypassed the established Test-playing countries and focused on winning over the associate members.

Dalmiya offered a share of glory to countries like Canada, Bermuda and Ireland. Cricket would be played on their grounds, as neutral venues between traditional enemies, or as stopovers. More of them will get a chance to play in the World Cup. They would also get a share of the global TV rights. Dalmiya smashed the establishment 25-13. Oh yes, by the way, the associate members had one vote each while the Test-playing countries had two votes each.

The same thing is going to happen with the IITs. Functional autonomy, and by definition, a protection from the perverse mindset of our politicians, is one of the key pillars of the IITs. The newly set up IITs are going to provide the HRD ministry with the democratic votes and moral position in an enlarged IIT Council, like Canada and Bermuda did to Dalmiya, that will drive one regressive law after another to finally reduce the original “big 5” IITs to a totally hopeless and supine position.

... contd.