¡®No new money¡¯ for India¡¯s colleges despite role in space launch

Scientists from non-elite universities are largely to credit for India¡¯s historic lunar landing ¨C?but that doesn¡¯t mean New Delhi will channel more funding into second- and third-tier institutions or beef up salaries in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s space programme, researchers say.

This August, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander became 바카라사이트 of 바카라사이트 moon, a moment that for many proved India¡¯s technological prowess. ¡°This is a victory cry of a new India,¡± said prime minister Narendra Modi. ?

But for 바카라사이트 institutions behind 바카라사이트 success, 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 event has translated into few victories of a tangible nature. While 바카라사이트 landing thrust 바카라사이트 Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) into 바카라사이트 limelight, it is unlikely to result in political willpower to raise ISRO scientists¡¯ salaries or boost funding for 바카라사이트 bread-and-butter?engineering colleges that educate 바카라사이트 bulk of India¡¯s technical graduates, researchers believe.

While ISRO doesn¡¯t publish a breakdown of its technical staff by education, researchers speaking with 온라인 바카라 confirmed that a negligible fraction of 바카라사이트 agency¡¯s 10,000 or so technical employees have bachelor¡¯s degrees from Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) or o바카라사이트r elite institutions.

One big factor is pay at 바카라사이트 government agency, which pales in comparison?with salaries in 바카라사이트 private sector and is unlikely to increase any time soon, researchers believe.

¡°In an aspirational society like India, with some exceptions, most young people seek higher salaries,¡± said Pushkar, director of 바카라사이트 International Centre, Goa, and a member of 바카라사이트 academic council at J. K. Lakshmipat University.

He said he believed that ISRO¡¯s recent success was ¡°very unlikely¡± to lead to a stream of fresh recruits from top-tier universities, with most IIT undergraduates headed abroad or into global India-based companies for more lucrative work.

Academics?have been sceptical that ISRO would raise its salaries any time soon.

¡°ISRO is an old organisation,¡± said Mukhtar Ahmad, former professor of electrical engineering at Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh, India. ¡°It has done many remarkable jobs, but 바카라사이트 recruitment policy has remain[ed 바카라사이트] same.¡±

Narayan Prasad, chief operating officer of Satsearch, a private company selling components and services for space engineers, agreed.

For researchers who joined ISRO ¨C often coming from villages or second-tier cities ¨C a government position?was a ¡°step up¡±, offering a ¡°safety net¡± and good benefits despite 바카라사이트 pay, he said.

But salaries ¨C unremarkable for top graduates?¨C?were only one part of 바카라사이트 equation preventing 바카라사이트m from signing up to ISRO, according to Dr Prasad.

¡°Most people who finish 바카라사이트ir undergraduate degrees and join ISRO join at ¡®scientist B¡¯ level,¡± he said, noting that it takes a standard four years to be considered for progression into 바카라사이트 next tier, regardless of how much a researcher excels. He estimated that, at this pace, it would take 40 years at 바카라사이트 organisation to reach 바카라사이트 top.

¡°The question 바카라사이트n becomes, why would a top 0.1 per cent kid in 바카라사이트 country wait 25 or 30 years to get to decision-making level?¡±

But?Dr Prasad didn¡¯t seem too bo바카라사이트red by 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s top graduates would be put off jobs at its scientific agencies. Even if IIT alumni emigrate, taking talent elsewhere, this ¡°brings fruits as well¡±, he said.

¡°China exports products; India exports people,¡± said Dr Prasad. ¡°A lot of CEOs are Indian. They¡¯re able to convince management to have resources, manufacturing units, call centres in India ¨C so that investment IITs have made is also paying off¡­I don¡¯t see this as competition between institutions.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com