[Assam] Math First: Harvard & UVa study on college science success

Sun Jul 29 06:08:04 PDT 2007

O' Ram:

Hope your weekend is going well. We had a nice kharkhowa gathering, 
along with some  kolgutikhowas and even a couple of desuali  folks 
last evening. This has been the most pleasant of July weather I can 
recall in our 32 years in St. Louis. A light breeze carrying mist 
from the river kept us comfortable, the mosquitos were on vacation, 
the cicadas were noisy but our friends' conversation kept them at bay 
and my mango-margarita kept everyone mellower than the near 
full-moon's light under a clear sky, until we fared our friends well- 
in whose honor we hosted the gathering--on their impending
trip to the desert of Rajasthan where he will be teaching business 
management as a Fullbright Scholar
on sabbatical at Pilani and she will be there to keep him company.

Anyway,  I read your thoughts here. As usual, no problems with your 
being a non-engineer. I am not one either. In IIT we, the 
architecture students, were laughed at by our engineering friends, 
because we did not use slide-rules, which was equivalent to looking 
down upon people who count with their fingertips, the lowest of the 
low-tech lot, a few notches below the logarithmatic-table users. We 
tried to turn the tables by laughing at their drawing skills. But 
they knew how to put us even further down: They told us that they 
will always have draftsmen ( I don't remember hearing of draftswomen) 
to do their dirty work, while we shall remain pencil-pushers for 
ever. That was really below the below the belt, and it hurt.

Enough about my sad stories.

On the fools'-rush front, I won't hold anyone guilty of crimes that I 
routinely commit. So rest easy there also.

By now if you are beginning to fret about   all the nicey-nice leader 
to this response and wondering if I am about spring a tripper on you, 
relax there too. I don't have anything tricky up my sleeve this 
morning.

All I ask is WHAT exactly were you and your cheering section, ably 
led by Krishendu,  trying to prove or disprove ? Once I get a bearing 
on that, I will be pleased to share my thoughts.

Take care.

c-da

At 9:16 AM -0600 7/28/07, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
>C'da
>
>Being a non-engineer, and susori-musori pass kora individual, I may 
>not be qualified to comment in this high-flying math/engg. debate - 
>but nevertheless, I will try... you know, "fools rush in where 
>angels...."
>
>One, is it is generally recognized that Indian graduating from 
>Indian schools are good in math/science. Not because they boast 
>about it, but because they just are. There are extremely bright 
>people there.
>Most of the people who have been a big success in this and other 
>countries have had their "fundas" from India, and most Assamese from 
>the Engg. colleges in Assam, and education in cotton or GU or DU.
>
>Second, you charge that because you don't see contributions from 
>these people in India, then obviously these graduates are Not 
>creative etc.
>
>It is possible that even though these Indians may be creative and 
>intelligent, but may NOT be willing or are not able to contribute to
>societies they came from. Maybe, they came to the USA to make more 
>money (read better opportunities).
>While, I do not think there is anything wrong with that, let us 
>realize that  there are many many people in India who are just as 
>capabale or better than immigrants to the US and who have 
>contributed to Indian's growth and development.
>
>Third, if these people were not creative in India, how is it that 
>these very same people with the basic fundamentals from India have 
>suddenly become creative here? Did they suddenly sprout wings?
>
>Lastly, (and I may the loner here) - Math & science are great, but 
>let us not put down other branches. There are many world leaders 
>(Kennedy/Gandhi/Nehru etc) who have come from non-science, non-tech 
>backgrounds, but have been instrumental in development and broad 
>visions for their countrues.
>
>If it wasn't for Nehru, many today would NOT have gone to the IITs. 
>Yes, those same IITs that have enabled many to build careers in the 
>US and in India. Yes, those same IITs that have built the very 
>foundations that they so easily rubbish today.
>
>If it wasn't for JFK, man may not have gone to the moon. A country 
>needs visionaries, just like it needs bright people from every other 
>branch.
>
>More later
>
>--Ram
>
>On 7/28/07, Chan Mahanta 
><<mailto:cmahanta at charter.net>cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:
>
>  >By this logic, with so many successful Indian
>Engineers and Scientists in US and other countries the
>primary math foundation laid by Indian School system
>must be excellent.
>
>
>*** Can you cite some statistics, or even educated guesses on how "
>many successful Indian
>Engineers and Scientists in US and other countries" are there, and
>what percentage is that of :
>
>A: Total number of scientists and engineers produced by India?
>
>B: Total number of people of the demographics of which these are a
>segment and how the rest are doing ?
>
>
>C: HOW these "successful" products of an 'excellent' Indian education
>system have contributed to India's well being?
>
>D: How the rest of the 'excellent' Indian education system have
>contributed to India's well being?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>At 6:36 AM -0700 7/28/07, Krishnendu Chakraborty wrote:
>>  >>Can you cite India's contributions to it?
>>
>>
>>Yes ---- Chandan Mahanta :)
>>
>>
>>>>>>    If your primary math
>>foundation is weak, you will never get to do intensive
>>math at high
>>school, forget science and engineering.
>>
>>By this logic, with so many successful Indian
>>Engineers and Scientists in US and other countries the
>>primary math foundation laid by Indian School system
>>must be excellent.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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