Humanities course in the mecca of technology

Recently Director IIT Madras made an announcement in the newspapers that they will be offering a 5 year integrated humanities course starting june 2006.He said there is tremendous potential for students who major in humanities courses in today's globalised, technology driven world. The announcement has spawned some news reports in the next few days from principals of CBSC schools,as to how they are offering specialised humanities subjects in their school curriculum, which could also be the fifth and optional subject for plus two students.
One has been reading and listening to teachers who are passionate about language, sociology, history and geography, lament about lack of interest among students to take up humanities subjects in their undergrad level.Driven by need to have a job at the end of graduation, students migrated to other streams which gave them enough skill sets to be readily employable even before they complete their course.
Of late there is a strong perception, that a generation fed on technology and tools of survival without humanising effect of humanities makes for a very dull and dreary student force.
There has also been pressure on IIT to take in more students, so that the resources given by the Central government are beneficial to a larger student community.Technology inputs call for heavy capital expenditure for expansion of facilities. Whereas a humanities course as an adjunct in a technical institution, clearly leverages on available physical classroom and library resources.I saw some interesting courses mentioned; technology and its impact on society, communication,science and historical perspective, managing technology and its fall outs...
IIT Madras always had a humanities department, but then it was tucked away in a corner, not very well known. Kumar used to be invited to their department for periodic lectures and seminars.I got involved in their MBA programme which they started recently. Introducing a course on life insurance as an elective to their second year mba students, i got a taste of the tremendous potential available in that institution which could benefit a larger student populace.
It used to be scary to reach their department and Prof L Ganesan's room;monkeys used to play havoc on the steps leading to his room, dancing as they would from the 'arasa maram' which was nearby.But i was relieved when it was reported that humanities department has shifted to its own new block in the campus.It is monkey safe? I would need to check it out one of these days, to be sure!