IITians: The People You Love To Hate

I've always maintained that the IITs appear to be populated by people of various extremes. Most of the people I've known at IIT seem to be way off the "Normal" mark, in behaviour and in attitude. I often wonder if we were that way when we entered the portals of the institute or whether the freedom and isolated existence that we enjoy there makes us that way. I suspect the answer is a bit of both.

The crux of the matter is that people do not understand us. We live for four years with our individuality respected, and are suddenly forced to reckon with society in force when we step out. Our words and actions are often misinterpreted. IITians have a reputation for being arrogant and egotistic. But half the time, it is only because people try to judge us by the wrong yardstick. Ultimately, the result is that people don't like to get close to IITians. Those who do, get burned, and it is nobody's fault; pretty soon, people learn not to touch us.

Understand that I am speaking in general terms here. IITians are, after all, human beings and get along fabulously with the rest of the world - sometimes. But some people who see us getting the high-paying jobs ask, "What makes that person better than me? It's just the brand name that's doing it!" Others acknowledge the presence of those superior skills and hold us in awe. And either way, people find it convenient to keep their distance from us; and we find it convenient to keep our distance from them. The IIT fame and brand name is professionally and academically a blessing; personally, it is a curse.

Our friend Smugbug sums it all up thus: People love to hate IITians. Why is it so few people have managed to make such a huge impact everywhere? We are praised for being such able torch bearers for India in countries like the US, impressing the world with our intelligence, hard work and dedication; but in the same breath, people utter some derogatory remark about brain drain and how much better off our country would be if we'd stayed. Every little issue that has anything to do with an IIT has to be bashed about in the press, and everybody has an opinion, even if 90% of them know nothing about what it means to be an IITian. And us fiercely independent and outspoken IITians have to respond, to something that concerns us, and the controversies and debates drag on until nobody can tell black from white any more.

The latest "IIT Controversy" is the new reservation policy being considered by the government. Personally, I feel like screaming that the people who did come in under the existing reservation scheme have struggled in the high-pressure environment far more than the others, and if only you'd been in an IIT you'd know about the depression and other psychological problems they go through. Just imagine the shattering blow to self-esteem a person would have if he had reason to think that he did not earn his position, but got it through something akin to charity; it's too good to give up, yet too hard to cope with. It's a living hell.

This is where an ordinary person gets affronted by my callousness and the arrogant presumption that some people are better than others. I am sorry, but some people indeed are better than others, and that is why it is best to have a purely merit-based system to determine who is good and who is not. Else, you are not only making life difficult for those who come through the reservation, you are blocking the opportunity for others who did earn their place.

And just when I though that this was the most obvious thing in the world to an IITian, I read this article written by a guy who was in my hostel, who I openly declare, is one of the biggest jerks I have ever met, and believe me when I tell you, I am a tolerant person. I acknowledge that the IIT-JEE is not perfect, but it is far better than other examination scheme we have in India. And what is wrong with a person getting through hard work and dedication rather than raw intelligence? The IIT credit system and testing system is not perfect, but pray tell me where is the comparison with, for instance, any of the local colleges in Chennai? I met a Mechanical Engineer once from a reputed college in Chennai - who had good grades, incidentally - and found out that he knew nothing about one topic because he knew he could "leave it in the choice" and little about another because he knew "which long answer was likely to come" on that topic and "mugged up that one alone". I stopped asking, for I recognized that I was embarrassing him unnecessarily, and had given him enough reason to hate me already. And for no real fault of mine.

It is true that many IITians join low paying software jobs, the same as a zillion other people in our country, but I know from first hand experience that most IITians doing research here in the US find themselves in a league of their own, making contributions that are anything but mediocre. If even an IITian can't see things that are clear as day to me, I think there is little hope of the rest of the world understanding.

Cheers,
Prashanth.