IITs need to make science empathetic and inclusive

Source- The post is based on the article “IITs need to make science empathetic and inclusive” published in “The Indian Express” on 19th April 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Issues related to development and management of education

Relevance– Issues faced by institutions of higher education in India

News– The IITs are in the news again for a spate of suicides.

What are the reasons for differences across various social groups at IITs?

There exists a gap in capabilities. For JEE Advanced 2022, the cut-off for admission for general category candidates was much higher compared to SC candidates. The median score of eligible SC candidates was very low.

There are many cultural reasons and some material ones. The Census 2011 data for Maharashtra tells us that 76% of the general population had had latrines at home in comparison to 57% of SC families. The fraction of SC households with a scooter was 14% while that for the general category it was 24%

This inequality persists in other basic amenities as well. Thus, reaching school or college or even finding time for it is harder for SC students.

But this inequality is not only about social class. There are inequities in the access to water too.

What is the best approach to learning at academic institutions?

The material inequality in society should be intensely studied by universities. Students of all disciplines should conduct field and community studies to understand its causes and provide insights.

Engineers can design robust solutions and social scientists would ensure that these indeed work.

Professors would transmit this knowledge to government agencies and companies so that this inequality reduces.

For students, such interdisciplinary field work will bring a shared experience of the realities of their society. They will engage in an open and honest discussion about its problems.

This will help students to develop mutual respect, empathy and a collective understanding of how the state and the market work. Such a constructive engagement by the university can make higher education empathetic.

Diversity is important in this scheme. Only a diverse student and faculty body will be able to uncover facts and design more effective and sustainable solutions. More equitable societies will produce better professionals and citizens and a diverse set of role models.

How will this approach be helpful for IITs?

The above approach can easily bring change for the IITs. Faculty members can work with district administrations to address these issues and involve both IIT and local college students.

This will prepare an ecosystem of higher education that satisfies its institutional as well as cultural roles.

For the IITs, such an approach will certainly improve the social environment within the student body. It will reduce competitive stress and increase collaboration and teamwork.

Students will also appreciate the great diversity of backgrounds and understand the adversities many among them have had to face. It will show them that for most real-life problems, unlike the JEE.

It will inculcate in them the true spirit of science of empathy, exploration and teamwork —where the laboratory is the wide world outside.

What are other issues with academic institutions in India?

The socio-economic problems require the sustained engagement of the smartest people and the most innovative companies and enterprises. Elite institutions have failed to convert our problems into opportunities and solutions.

That has resulted in a shortage of jobs and the lottery of competitive exams. The IITs now are merely the marketplace for the few good jobs.

What is the way forward for more inclusive learning in higher educational institutions?

It is also time for the students from IIT to reject this market-based approach.

Sustainability is now the core concern of state agencies and national and international companies. They need a science which is free, a science which probes and explores all issues of knowledge and society.

There is a need for training in this science of empathy and diversity. Indian science needs to become more democratic. Then universities will become more empathetic and society more equal and prosperous.