The Hindu Business Line : The missing angle

In the article "Blunting India's e-edge'' (Business Line, March 6) the author has brought out a very pertinent point to the fore — the need to assess the global demand for the products of the techno-managerial institutions. This is urgently required to be done — be it the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) or various governments. In this connection, there is another angle to be examined about the segment of students entering the engineering and management courses, especially the governement-run.

A study was conducted by Cochin University for Science and Technology (CUSAT), Cochin, on the students pursuing engineering degree courses in Kerala. It was found that more than 60 per cent or so of them came from affluent families, with parents earning sizeable monthly incomes.

These days, the admission process to IITs and IIMs is complex, warranting the aspirants to go through entrance courses, by paying hefty fees.

A survey similar to CUSAT must be conducted in the IITs and IIMs to get an idea of the number of children from the villages who are in this mainstream today.

N. T. Nair,

Thiruvananthapuram

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