Like if I help some one do his homework or save some ones life thats not the same degree of touching someone . Though by this formula it would it would come out to

Value of life = 2K ( K is the constant ) .

Also if I hurt someone really bad and give a chocolate to some other person

Value of life = ( 1- 1 ) K ( K is the constant ) .

So making it more appropriate I think it would be

value of life = k1 * (touches in a good way of Degree K1 – touches in a negative way of Degree K1 ) + k2 (touches in a good way of Degree K2 – touches in a negative way of Degree K2) + …………. + kn (touches in a good way of Degree Kn – touches in a negative way of Degree Kn)

Thank you guys for commenting. Its often the comments which add more value to the post than the post itself (as is the case with this one too)

@Pawan:
I think your suggestion is an extremely viable one. And we are seeing this happening now in Pune itself (slowly).
COEP, VIT and a lot of other colleges are joining the “deemed” bandwagon. Considering a country like India – where demand is almost always greater than the supply, we need to be careful with giving colleges a completely free ride as the managements might take advantages of the situation – but I think the free market policies should even things out. It would be interesting to see if that happens.

Maybe a *gentle* regulatory authority could help. Something like what TRAI does for cell phone networks, we could have something for the colleges.

@Karan:
Thanks for your comment. I completely agree with you on the point that starting a 1000 IITs is not the solution and we need to probably look at a more tempered, planned growth growth.

As for your point of Indians from abroad coming down to India – I think that could very well work provided they are empowered enough. While researching for this post, I came across another blog (http://www.shaarique.com/research-in-a-iit/) in which the guy who is an IIT student mentions of his mentor who came down from California to teach in IIT Madras, but ran away within a year due to the babu-dom which eventually creeps up in such “government-aided” institutes.

I do believe that there are thousands of people who want to change the system and are willing to do it – but are not empowered enough. I think its about time the government takes a step back and lets the people take charge about these issues.

Something what the government has let Nilekani do with the UID project. It is very heartening indeed.
Get smart, dedicated, young people from the private sector or even abroad – empower them enough and see how changes happen. I am really hoping things take a turn towards this … :)

Glad to see a blog post from you on this subject, and good to see you tweet about it – that’s how I got here :)

I’m not sure opening another 1000 IITs is going to save us. I agree with the idea of having more IITs or similarly recognized and technically-equipped institutes, but I feel this needs to be a controlled growth. A mass explosion in the number of IITs would let that many more discrepancies, differences creep in among themselves, allowing the leeches in state govts in to the system, and their hands on the money: which is exactly what we’re trying to get rid of.

I don’t know, I’m sure there are alternatives and ways to start cleaning up our messy higher-education system.. but whenever I think about it, I’m tempted to think of Indians abroad as the saviours. I feel more professors and industrialists need to come back home and steer this in the right direction. Of course this is a huge step, a distant solution, but I can’t think of people who are better equipped to do this. Are they mentally equipped to do this though? I doubt it. I’m not sure a middle aged top-dollar earning professor at an esteemed American university would voluntarily give up his comfortable life, good education for his kids and respect in the community to get his hands dirty back home doing what no one likes to – get through our bureaucracy. Having said that, I still feel that given the number of Indians doing well abroad, this change I’m talking about needs to start happening – however slowly.

No one likes to admit that aping the west is a good thing, but this is one aspect where I’m all for it. The higher education system here (I can only speak about the US) is great, you’re thrown in to a world of opportunity.

But whatever else happens, WE NEED TO GET RID OF THE DAMNED RESERVATION SYSTEM. How unbelievably backward.

I have one suggestion……..

Why dont we give all the present universities a free hand and get them in power with IIT’s. These universities already have basic infrastructure ready and students are already studying there…..all we need to do is let every university decide their syllabus, the way the course should be taught. Govt can give them grants or universities can collaborate with the industry for research etc…..If we do this the results will be seen in 5 years and it is much viable option then setting up new IIT(s)……

Of course, Robin looks awesome!!
Doesn’t she look like Katrina Kaif?