I have never appeared for the IIT joint entrance exam (IIT-JEE) and have no regrets for not doing so. But I have ‘coached’ several hundred students to crack the test—among them 333 poor and meritorious students mentored under my Super 30 programme. Many of them keep in touch with me, reach out for guidance, and that’s how I have some idea about the IITs. And I am worried. I have also had the good fortune of being invited to deliver lectures at some of the best universities in the world and I have seen how classes are conducted there. What has never failed to strike me—at Harvard, MIT or at institutions in Tokyo—is how relaxed the professors and students are in class. The friendly vibes, the light-hearted banter and the informal interaction, even over serious subjects, have never failed to inspire me. In sharp contrast, students at IITs tell me that most of the lectures are “boring” and “bookish”, with professors intent on writing on the blackboard. Students, meanwhile, keep themselves busy updating their Facebook status,...

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