The IITs were conceived and established as contributors to the human resource development of the nation. This is iterated in the “Indian” foundation of their name, the IIT, and a sign in the main building of IIT Kharagpur that reads “Dedicated to the Service of the Nation” underscores this national imperative.
A few decades ago, PV Indiresan, former director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, had commented that ‘when a student enrols at an IIT, his spirit is said to ascend to America. Afte