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EXCLUSIVE INDAI TODAY-GALLUP
SURVEY
Science
The old takes the gold yet again.
Presidency, Chennai, may have little
glamour but it has a lot of academic
substance going for it.
By Arun Ram
The second college
to be set up by the British in India, Presidency College, Chennai, looks
every inch a heritage institution. The "Mother of Madras University"
is No. 1 in science education in the India Today rankings for the second
year in a row. Age is beginning to tell on its 160year-old building, but
its academic excellence is unwithered. The science departments were a
hub of quality research during the time C.V. Raman studied here. They
still are. Says Principal Dr T.R. Balakrishnan: "On an average, the
college produces 50 PhDs a year." Not surprising when 200 out of
250 faculty members are PhD holders.
There is a sense of history about Presidency.
The 125-year-old Chemistry department was instrumental in manufacturing
TNT during World War II. "The production plant in the cellar, now
corroded, has many war tales to tell," remarks V. Kannappan, a Chemistry
professor. Presidency's chemistry labs have contributed to heads as much
as warheads. Amrutanjan balm was formulated here in the 1960s.
Started by Eyre Burton Powell in 1840, the college
became autonomous in 1987. Fees are as low as Rs 1,000 per semester, making
the college much sought among bright students from economically backward
families. Continuous assessment of students' performance and end-semester
examinations form the basis for awarding degrees.
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HOME TO HERITAGE: Though its labs are archaic,
Presidency's research remains strong
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The academic excellence of Presidency stands
in stark contrast to its apparent woes like paucity of funds for the upkeep
of the colossal buildings and the poor economic background of its students.
Perhaps it is the will to excel in challenging circumstances that makes
the college click. Controller of Examinations Dr K. Govindasamy says,
"Our biggest strengths are the dedication of teachers and the students'
thirst for academic excellence." For students who cannot afford private
tuitions, the teachers spend extra hours taking special classes. Last
year, too, Presidency students came first in all the science subjects
in Tamil Nadu. Presidency College is an example of the fact that quality
education need not cost the moon. It is a monument to ability and effort,
which are the qualities that make good scientists.
Presidency's nearest rival has a lot in common
with it. Loyola, another Chennai college, was started in July 1925 by
a group of Jesuits. Priests from the order still run it with religious
dedication. "We put equal emphasis on all-round development of the
student," says Principal Fr Joseph Xavier. Loyola has made computer
education compulsory for all its students. Social work is also part of
the Loyola student's campus life.
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CONTENDER: Loyola emphasises
all-round development |
Specialised research institutes which are a part
of Loyola include the Entomology Research Institute and the Loyola Institute
of Frontier Energy. It offers seven undergraduate courses in the sciences
and allied subjects, including one on visual communication.
The world according to Delhi University is split
into two races: those who are in Stephen's and the rest. "We have
an academic programme quite distinct from anything else in the country,"
says Anil Wilson, principal of St Stephen's, which is ranked third. Outsiders
allege snobbery, resent the admission procedure that involves interviews
in addition to cut-off percentages, and scoff at Stephen's lingo that
elevates the "canteen" to a "cafe" and "hostel"
to a "residence". "But when you are in Stephen's you talk
that way because that's the way it's always been," says recent old
boy Kabir Singh, BA (Hons) History, Class of 2000, adding "Just because
you are confident and not apologetic about it doesn't make you a snob."
Stephen's is one of the few colleges where the
tutorial system actually works, where teachers pay individual attention
to students. The two dozen or so societies are serious business. There's
also a School of Music and a strong student-run placement cell. Students
are encouraged to take a shot at activities-academic and otherwise-even
outside India. Don't ask for a list of prominent alumni unless you have
time to spare.
—With Kavitha Muralidharan and Anna M.M. Vetticad
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