In Bangalore, it's IT vs science

Bangalore: Before it achieved the distinction of being India’s Silicon Valley, before it became the world’s most preferred back-office and wowed the West with its outsourcing boom, Bangalore was essentially a science city.

Home to biggies in scientific research like CV Raman and M Visvesvaraya and known for nurturing science talent at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science, the city was a Mecca for the pursuers of pure sciences.

But what happens when information technology and pure science fight for space?

Going by the recent trends, it looks like science and research are being forgotten by students making a beeline for the software and IT sector.

"There's scope for engineering right now. BPOs have given many opportunities to all of us. So engineering is now common to all," says a pre-university student at National College, Mekhala K.

Seventeen-year-old Mekhala is like any other class XII student of Bangalore – with dreams of taking up an engineering programme and bagging a great job four years from now.

Similar is the situation at Bangalore's National Education Society. A 1917 vintage, the Society is the alma mater of some of India’s most prominent scientists and headquarters of the Bangalore Science Forum.

But students here are increasingly opting for professional and even management programmes, completely overlooking a possible career in pure science and research

“It's an unfortunate situation in Bangalore. Most students out of PUC top quality students are not taking science,” says President of the National Education Society, A H Rama Rao.

For the institute’s generation next, money does seem to matter quite a lot. "There's nothing wrong with pure science, but you'll have to work hard to get a respectable place," says a student.

However, as always there are exceptions from the norm. Among a herd of IT-obsessed youngsters, there are also some students pursuing their Bachelors of Science, who've moved off the beaten track.

"Science is the basis for everything, even for technology. But technology can't be the basis for science," says a BSc student Sarvesh S Batni.

It's because of ceratin exceptions like Batni that science puritans feel there’s hope that with new sciences like microbiology and genetics, enthusiasm for research could return.

"Some day, students will turn to science. It'll happen. Maybe after 10 or even 15 years. Till then we should fight," says Rama Rao.

The Generation Next of Bangaloreans seems to believe that while money can't buy you job satisfaction, job satisfaction can't buy you money either – a reason why pure science is losing out to technology.

So, the fight for space looks like it will continue, till a day when science begins to pay.

<table width="248" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="2"> <tr bgcolor="#AE111D"> <td height="20" valign="middle" bgcolor="#DB1524"><div align="center"><strong class="Wtext11">IT BOOM IS COMING</strong></div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#e7e7e7"> <td width="248" height="20" valign="middle" class="Btext11 pLeft10"><img src="/pix/common/bullet.gif" width="7" height="7" alt="bullet" />Tech companies are preparing to conquer more of the $100-bn software contract with armies of software developers. Software companies are preparing for battle, just like the army. They are hiring by thousands. Some software developers are commissioned, the rest are placed in reserve. </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="248" height="20" valign="middle" class="Btext11 pLeft10"><img src="/pix/common/bullet.gif" width="7" height="7" alt="bullet" /> Tata Consultancy Services uses about 75 per cent of its staff, Infosys, 68 per cent and Wipro, 67 per cent of its software developers. That means if each company has 60,000 software developers, at least 15,000 are on the bench at any time. But companies say they need the numbers - it showcases their talent pool and helps to attract clients. </td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#e7e7e7"> <td width="248" height="20" valign="middle" class="Btext11 pLeft10"><img src="/pix/common/bullet.gif" width="7" height="7" alt="bullet" /> On June 26 Infosys hired 2,000 people. And in July 2005 it had hired 906 in a day. Wipro will take aboard 9,500 people in the next six months - besides 10,000 it already hired this year. But techies on the bench are hardly celebrating. Their companies call them non-profitable resources. And if they are on the bench too long they could lose incentives or part of their variable-pay component. </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="248" height="20" valign="middle" class="Btext11 pLeft10"><img src="/pix/common/bullet.gif" width="7" height="7" alt="bullet" /> They also fear that, being out of touch, they might lose the technical edge. Demand for trained people is set to rise. Recent US jobs data renewed worries about slower economic growth. That means western clients will trim costs and turn to outsourcing. And that will call for more troops, reservists and all. <i>(Inputs from Roshni Menon)</i></td> </tr> </table>

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