Disclaimer : This is an attempt to give readers another side of the story published in outlook magazine which appears to me as biased. Readers are advised to read this as well as the original article in outlook and have his/her own opinion. The post does not intend to harm any individual or institution but one is free to point if one finds anything objectionable. I sent the comment (appended at the end) to the magazine so that the readers get an unbiased view. That was not published. I was not even told why it was not published. Ironically, the registration formality for comment in outlook magazine sent a confirmatory mail from sender named 'freespeech'.
Outlook Magazine in its 15th August edition has published (today is 8th August though!) an article titled 'Without Armour'. This advocates more legal protection of whistleblowers. The author puts up two case studies. The major one revolves round suspended Prof. Rajiv Kumar of IIT Kharagpur. I keenly watch stories of IIT Kharagpur in media. I was hurt again to see the saga of ill-conceived reporting and defaming an institution of international repute continuing. . This blog has been so far read only by 157 readers. No match with the might of a magazine like Outlook. Someday, some student of journalism may find it useful in writing a commentary on media houses - how it evolved. I wonder if media in India will learn something from the fate of Murdoch's Newsweek! One article on 'Murdoch's Watergate' it can be found here.
The outlook magazine article starts with 5 bullets. First three are:
---QUOTE---
Whistleblowers have to brave threats when exposing corruption
Prof Kumar of IIT Kharagpur has been suspended for exposing irregularities at IITs and in the entrance test
His complaint is with the CVC.
----UNQUOTE----
Oh My God! How can a lead magazine write blatant lie just like that! This aspect of the article is not only one sided but presents truth as lies, lies as truth, allegation as verdict in a court of justice. I am shocked. If this can be done to an institution like IIT, I wonder how vulnerable common people are before media. I shall not be surprised to see media taking sensationalism to new heights and destabilizing the national fabric to get a higher readership numbers. We have to wait and watch and pray that someday the competitive journalism will end for good. Such an ill-researched story makes the case of real whistleblowers weak. Now the comment that was not allowed by 'freespeech' is pasted below.
---------------------------
Dear Correspondent and Editor,
I would like to draw your attention to this part of the reporting.
---- QUOTE ----
Meet Prof Rajiv Kumar of IIT Kharagpur. Using RTI, he exposed irregularities in the IIT-JEE, the entrance test for admissions. He pointed out flaws in the setting of question papers and the evaluation of answer sheets. He also highlighted the lack of transparency and accountability, and the selection of IIT administrators’ wards in some IITs by filling up vacant seats through illegal admissions.
For his efforts, Kumar was suspended.
----UNQUOTE----
I admire the tenacious effort of suspended Prof. Rajiv Kumar on IIT-JEE which started when his son failed to get admission in IIT in 2006. His grievance on cut-off vs. total is very much genuine and strikes everybody. But his attack on IIT Kharagpur irregularities and activism on other 'issues' started in 2010 when his last effort to get his son admitted in IIT in final year from his exiting college through full credit transfer, failed. Please refer to the section in bold of the post (3rd from top) http://purabspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/05/comment-to-abi-sirs-posts.html The post is based on facts taken from write-up, letters available in Prof. Rajiv Kumar's own blog and not having any cover of as 'alleged'. The contribution of the post is to analyze the sequence of the events in a rational way.
Next, you are distorting truth and misleading all to correlate Prof. Kumar's IIT-JEE effort and suspension. There are enough published material which delinks two. It could have been easily crosschecked from IIT officials. Once Prof. Kumar failed to get his son admitted to IIT through lateral entry (Feb., 2010) he started a series of false allegations on wide ranging issues. For his IIT-JEE work he struck a cord with media. Through them he started an effort to humiliate IIT in public with unsubstantiated and sensational claims which he could not defend even after being given a number of opportunities. He was showing an ominous intent to harm IIT students, alumni, faculty members. When everything failed, IIT had no option to suspend him. Please refer to http://storiesandinsidestories.blogspot.com for more.
Prof. Rajiv Kumar is an educated, intelligent person with friends in media and among activists. The judiciary in the country does not spare even big ministers and he has long and strong relation with CVC people. To say that IIT suspended him without giving him an opportunity to defend and he is a victim do not sound convincing. A magazine like outlook is expected to be more thorough in its analysis and not biased in its reporting.
Thanks and regards
Purab
Outlook Magazine in its 15th August edition has published (today is 8th August though!) an article titled 'Without Armour'. This advocates more legal protection of whistleblowers. The author puts up two case studies. The major one revolves round suspended Prof. Rajiv Kumar of IIT Kharagpur. I keenly watch stories of IIT Kharagpur in media. I was hurt again to see the saga of ill-conceived reporting and defaming an institution of international repute continuing. . This blog has been so far read only by 157 readers. No match with the might of a magazine like Outlook. Someday, some student of journalism may find it useful in writing a commentary on media houses - how it evolved. I wonder if media in India will learn something from the fate of Murdoch's Newsweek! One article on 'Murdoch's Watergate' it can be found here.
The outlook magazine article starts with 5 bullets. First three are:
---QUOTE---
----UNQUOTE----
Oh My God! How can a lead magazine write blatant lie just like that! This aspect of the article is not only one sided but presents truth as lies, lies as truth, allegation as verdict in a court of justice. I am shocked. If this can be done to an institution like IIT, I wonder how vulnerable common people are before media. I shall not be surprised to see media taking sensationalism to new heights and destabilizing the national fabric to get a higher readership numbers. We have to wait and watch and pray that someday the competitive journalism will end for good. Such an ill-researched story makes the case of real whistleblowers weak. Now the comment that was not allowed by 'freespeech' is pasted below.
---------------------------
Dear Correspondent and Editor,
I would like to draw your attention to this part of the reporting.
---- QUOTE ----
Meet Prof Rajiv Kumar of IIT Kharagpur. Using RTI, he exposed irregularities in the IIT-JEE, the entrance test for admissions. He pointed out flaws in the setting of question papers and the evaluation of answer sheets. He also highlighted the lack of transparency and accountability, and the selection of IIT administrators’ wards in some IITs by filling up vacant seats through illegal admissions.
For his efforts, Kumar was suspended.
----UNQUOTE----
I admire the tenacious effort of suspended Prof. Rajiv Kumar on IIT-JEE which started when his son failed to get admission in IIT in 2006. His grievance on cut-off vs. total is very much genuine and strikes everybody. But his attack on IIT Kharagpur irregularities and activism on other 'issues' started in 2010 when his last effort to get his son admitted in IIT in final year from his exiting college through full credit transfer, failed. Please refer to the section in bold of the post (3rd from top) http://purabspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/05/comment-to-abi-sirs-posts.html The post is based on facts taken from write-up, letters available in Prof. Rajiv Kumar's own blog and not having any cover of as 'alleged'. The contribution of the post is to analyze the sequence of the events in a rational way.
Next, you are distorting truth and misleading all to correlate Prof. Kumar's IIT-JEE effort and suspension. There are enough published material which delinks two. It could have been easily crosschecked from IIT officials. Once Prof. Kumar failed to get his son admitted to IIT through lateral entry (Feb., 2010) he started a series of false allegations on wide ranging issues. For his IIT-JEE work he struck a cord with media. Through them he started an effort to humiliate IIT in public with unsubstantiated and sensational claims which he could not defend even after being given a number of opportunities. He was showing an ominous intent to harm IIT students, alumni, faculty members. When everything failed, IIT had no option to suspend him. Please refer to http://storiesandinsidestories.blogspot.com for more.
Prof. Rajiv Kumar is an educated, intelligent person with friends in media and among activists. The judiciary in the country does not spare even big ministers and he has long and strong relation with CVC people. To say that IIT suspended him without giving him an opportunity to defend and he is a victim do not sound convincing. A magazine like outlook is expected to be more thorough in its analysis and not biased in its reporting.
Thanks and regards
Purab
