Why most IITians are FAILURES | THE HARSH TRUTH
An IIT Patna graduate argues that clearing IIT-JEE does not define a person's success, noting that 50% of her own batch had poor placements despite attending IIT. She contends that India's education system trains students to reach IIT as a final goal, leaving them directionless afterward, which contributes to a lack of major technological innovation from India.
Summary
The speaker opens by addressing the societal tendency to divide students into 'successes' and 'failures' based on IIT-JEE results, criticizing the harsh judgment placed on students who don't clear an exam where 15 lakh students compete for only 10,000 seats.
Drawing from personal experience, she reveals that she ranked around 6500 in IIT-JEE and attended IIT Patna (2017–2021 batch). However, she discloses that approximately 50% of her batchmates received no placement or earned less than ₹5 lakh per annum — meaning their only career peak was clearing the JEE entrance exam itself.
She argues that India's education system conditions children to treat IIT admission as the ultimate goal, investing 2–3 years in coaching while neglecting skills like entrepreneurship, innovation, and building businesses. Once students reach IIT, they have no further direction or goals, which she identifies as a root cause of India's lack of major technological innovation over the past 50 years — noting that nearly all technology Indians use comes from the US or China.
The speaker also shares that after completing her BTech and MBA, and working in both India and the US, she has met many non-IITians who outperform IITians in intellect, wealth, and career growth. Her own boss, who studied at a local college, earns significantly more and has a stronger vision than her.
She concludes by arguing that an IIT degree provides a stepping stone — especially for a first job — but its value has diminished, particularly with the rise of AI making information publicly accessible. She emphasizes that a 'builder mentality' and consistent hard work matter far more than a prestigious college tag, and that life success is a marathon requiring multiple wins, not a single sprint.
Key Insights
- The speaker reveals that approximately 50% of her IIT Patna batch (2017–2021) had no placement or received packages below ₹5 lakh, arguing their only career peak was clearing the JEE itself.
- The speaker contends that India's coaching culture trains children to treat IIT admission as the sole goal, never teaching them what to do afterward — leading to directionlessness post-admission.
- The speaker attributes India's absence of major technological innovation over 50 years to this misdirected education system, noting that all technology Indians use — including AI — comes from the US or China.
- The speaker states that her own boss, who attended a local college rather than IIT, earns significantly more than her and has a stronger vision, using this as evidence that IIT credentials do not determine long-term success.
- The speaker argues that the value of an IIT degree has declined significantly compared to 50 years ago, specifically because AI has made all information publicly accessible, shifting the advantage to those with a 'builder mentality' rather than prestigious credentials.
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