In a post about the recent troubles at DMRC, he says this:
I am in no position to comment on the way the Metro is proceeding. But, as a B-school prof, I will say one thing: there is something terribly wrong with a situation where a 77-year old engineer is considered indispensable.
Hmmm. I wonder why this situation sounds soooo familiar ;-)
5 Comments:
Maybe because there are other 77 year olds who are considerable indespinsible in the science management? But you must realize that this tradition is as old as our country...all the gyaan is given by those who should be geriatric wards.
I heard of cases of some scientists of that age wielding undue influence. Recently I was in Kolkata when a professor resigned due to apparently a phone call which changed the appointment of another professor. But around two years ago, I attended a function honouring E. Sreedharan and read a bit about him around that time. Some comparison with the Kolkata Metro indicates that his achievements are remarkable. But I am away from the scene and do not know for sure.
Just like it is foolish to assume that all old people are full of "gyan" it is equally foolish to assume all old people are fools. Any large project needs continuity,and Sreedharan has apparently delivered before.
Could it be --- gasp --- that we have stopped producing the likes of Sreedharan and younger generations lack either the ability or the motivation to be in his job? 15 years of tracking the abilities and aspirations of IIT and IISc students certainly points that way. It seems a little far-fetched that a geriatric caucus is somehow systematically preventing able and willing younger people from taking over. But Ram Mohan's comment is spot-on and stops exactly where it should stop.
It is simple.. among the young corps in our public sector establishments (Indian rail is no exception), the better ones have been driven out to private sector/foreign countries. You don't need Einstein's genius to figure out.
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