Techie says IIT should be one-time escape, not legacy

Akash Sampurnanand Panday shared a remark from an IIT alumni meet on X: 'If you went to IIT, and then your son also had to go to IIT, you have failed'.

Panday argued that IIT should be a one-time 'escape ladder' for families to jump social class, not a recurring milestone.

He contrasted IIT with Harvard, where legacy admissions are valued and families 'compound' across generations.

The post sparked debate, with one user saying IITs have 'failed' India for not building lasting elite institutions, while another agreed that making IIT optional for the next generation is real success.