Is an IITian an Engineer?

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alphavictor

Is an IITian an Engineer?

Author: alphavictor

This is a question that looks stupid but actually is not. Read ahead to learn more. A student in an engineering college is considered to be part of a special species. And an IITian is God's gift to earth. But what exactly are we learning in these four years, asks IITian Taru Kapoor.

Before I proceed to say anything, I request you all to kindly excuse any content that maybe regarded as capricious jargon or insensitive ballyhoo on my part, or merely a dangerous figment of my over imaginative faculties. I do not seek to pronounce personal, opinionated judgments on the state of worldly affairs that come under the purview of my limited vision - both physical and mental. I simply want to narrate.

I have dared to use the pronoun "we" more than a few times. The "we" stands for the entire IITian community because I know we share the same sentiments on certain issues. I urge the sensitive, intellectual population of the IIT Front Benchers' Association to kindly overlook my outrageous attempt at humour and avoid filing a defamation suit on the charges of "malice aforethought" against me for the liberties I have carelessly taken.

I am peacefully content, blissfully ignorant, and lazy. And like a substantial chunk of the IIT population, I am perceived as doing something respectable (?) simply by the virtue of having an IITian tag. I've always subscribed to the view that it's not really important what you do, but what matters is what others think you're doing. I've seen this thumb rule work reasonably well within the IIT system too.

One could help one's own grades by a simple trick: take a little pain to wake up from the lecture-time, nap five minutes before the class ends and let a few words and terms enter your ears. Then crowd your prof. at the end of the class (yes, along with those revered front benchers) with some doubt or question. Ask anything whatsoever, but make sure the discussion lasts at least five minutes, and the prof leaves with an impression that at least someone was attentive in his class and he must remember your face (if possible, name and entry number too). A one-to-one meeting with the professor in his room later works thousand times better, but you've to be really brave and more alert for the longer rendezvous…. Clever, huh?

Coming back to the point, these deceptive looks are really handy; especially in front of everyone who's not an IITian. You may be a nine point someone, or a five point no one, but to the average laymen you're the descendant of some highly brilliant species. Sooner or later, we all start enjoying our stay in this ego-boosting castle of illusion and believing in the false superiority.

Normally whenever I happen to meet, or am introduced to an over enthusiastic neighbour at home, an inquisitive relative, an aware sexagenarian, or a semi-intelligent professional, I'm used to zealous congratulations, gratuitous advice and good lucks. But then an incident occurred, which shook me out from my perpetual state of utopian bliss and self-satisfaction. I was home for my vacations, when one of my father's old-time friend came to our house for lunch. After the usual exchange of greetings, introductions and the first round of tea and snacks, everyone settled for some conversation and discussion. Uncle asked me what I was doing. I casually replied I was studying at IIT expecting the usual set of dialogues.

"What are you studying child?", asked his wife suddenly. "Well, auntie, I'm studying at IIT Delhi" I retorted confidently. "That's fine, but what do you study?" She repeated her question. I looked at her calm face and half-laughed to myself thinking here comes another who doesn't even know what is taught at IITs. Outwardly though, I just said, "I'm doing my B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering. Just into Second Year."

"Good, so that means you'll soon be an engineer. In fact you already are 25% of one." "Uh..well…" I hardly knew how to respond. But she continued. "So, who is an engineer? What does an engineer do? In other words what exactly are you going to do as your job all your life?"

It was sheer luck that saved me from the mess. Almost miraculously my phone rang at that very instant and I got a little reprieve. The guests left in a couple of hours, but the question didn't really leave me. The storm hadn't really abated, at least not the one within. Suddenly a single innocuous stone of reality had shattered the castle of my illusions. One of the first things I did once they left was check out the dictionary for the meaning of the word "engineer": A skilled professional who applies scientific knowledge for the planning, design, manufacture and utilization of a technological enterprise! Heavy words indeed, but is that really the direction in which my steps are heading?

Well, I certainly plan enterprises, but technological??? I know how to cover up for lost sleep during lectures, and to finish practical files and assignments. But if someone says "manufacture" the only thing that comes to my mind is MEL120 class, and, well, that makes me yawn immediately. Are we really gonna become skilled professionals by practising our routine skills - bunking classes to make up for those night hours lost in gossip, attending lectures only to avoid attendance Fs and oblige friends with proxies, discussing Nescafe coffees, Sassi paranthas, and somehow scraping through the years? I don't think any of us actually learns anything from the curriculum - except for how to be an expert fraud thanks to the practicals.

I recently asked one of my seniors at the fag end of his third year if he really feels like 75% of an engineer. He was initially aghast, but later responded, "Only if I were to get a degree in redundancy and not electrical engineering, yeah I'm 75% there…" We both giggled. But I knew it was true.

And if this was the situation at IIT - supposedly the best of the lot - what about the thousands of other engineering colleges across the country? Do we really do what we are supposed to be doing? Or is it sufficient that a lot of people think we are doing something good? I don't really know. I would have pondered more and worried myself to death over the future of my beloved country. But the fatigue of my suddenly over-exercised mind now threatens to drown me and I know very soon I'm going to revert back to my utopian world of egocentricity.

Until then, just a single thought rankles my brain: Am I really becoming an engineer, or an unbecoming one?

Article taken from JAM