The veteran professor, Kannan Moudgalya, of IIT-Bombay came into the limelight when he and his group at IIT designed a laptop under $100, which enabled more than 20 percent of the students on the campus with a laptop and access to information. But Professor Kannan's initiative doesn't stop there, he has also launched a platform where students across India can learn the art of computer programming in their mother tongue.
Kannan Moudgalya, Professor at IIT-B
But according to Professor Kannan, there are certain hurdles that need to be dealt with, starting with students, "In foreign countries, students pay for their education themselves, whereas our students' finances seems to be supported by their parents, which makes them more relaxed. Also, our students shy away from asking questions in fear of being mocked," said the Chemical Engineering professor. To tackle this issue, Kannan launched a discussion platform with anonymous postings from students, which he says is infinitely more effective than a classroom session. He also believes that Indian students have a tendency to answer questions mechanically rather than understanding the concepts and answering practically.
Professor Kannan also pointed out that good educators are not appreciated enough and are shot down too soon when they try something out of the box. "Good teaching should be encouraged, teachers who experiment should be appreciated because falling prey to routine is easier. So, when people make an effort to go out of their way, they should be appreciated. It is important for the administration to encourage such initiatives and also give them freedom," he said. He also feels that individual faculty members should be given autonomy in their teaching, the way institutes are given.
In his honest opinion, Professor Kannan feels that our educational system is not a system where students are selected according to their talents, but rather eliminated. "We don't select people, we use an elimination method, which is quite different to what happens in the western countries and the only way to tackle this issue is by having more good institutes," he said. He also emphasised that right now, students who clear the IIT/JEE exams prepare for five to seven years to get through to IIT, "In fact these children do not have a childhood, they have spent all their time preparing for the competitive exams," noted Professor Kannan.
