Flock of sheep

MCI has recommended an increase in the number of seats in the medical colleges and this will help to meet the need for doctors in the country. The human resources ministry also seems to think that by allowing or forcing the IITs to double their intake they will meet the demands of the industry and also will help the socially and economically weaker sections to get access to these premier institutions.

Is increasing the numbers without caring to increase the infrastructure [buildings, equipment, and personnel] bring about the desired result? Answer is no and one can see this happening in post independent India. There is definitely an increase in the number of professionals of all types but their quality has suffered over the years as evidenced by the calamities we hear every day in the media [collapsed bridges, train accidents, fires, buildings giving way, patients dying because of wrong treatment]

Some twenty five odd years ago Late lamented Prof B.G.L.Swamy wrote more out of sorrow than anger, ‘I was forced to take double the number of students for the course, this and the number of repeaters made the work of conducting examinations in a decent manner nearly impossible. When I brought this to the notice of the principal of the college and the director of education, the common answer was ‘Swamy, you have to manage somehow’ this somehow resulted in students taking examination, spilling over to the pavement. The principal who came to inspect, seeing students sitting on the pavement, tried taking his ire on me. I said,’ sir, what you see inside the room is any and the one you see on the pavement is how’

This over flowing ill trained students become tomorrow’s professionals and what we are seeing all around is the handiwork of these. A flock of sheep incapable of original thought and deed, capable only of incompetent repetition and blunder.

Who can save this country full to the brim with incompetence?