I wonder if the DIY phenomenon will ever work here in India. Oh yes, it is gaining ground here. But are the students in schools and engineering colleges picking it up? I might be wrong, but all I see are people picking it up after they have finished their schooling. And even if they do, its usually in some students club (I think!).
The major hurdles that stand in the way of DIY here in India are the people and the system(academic institutions, the Government,etc.) who don't appreciate DIY. They say that students should concentrate more on studies and everything else is just a waste of time.
And this is reflected by the fact that college life is not that different from school life. Yes, we can easily bunk classes and everything but, if look closely at the academic section, its more or less the same. We go from classes(in the engineering colleges)from morning to the evening. Not that different from schools, right? Practicals are not in SYNC with the theory being taught in the class and therefore become a burden(in most of the cases) and the students are bogged down with completing the practical records and scoring grades rather than understanding it.
And even if this is not enough, and a brave student decides to "make" something on his own anyway, finding the materials and components is tedious. The prices are astronomical. The quality of most materials manufactured in India is bad.

So is it worthwhile to spend some time and money in DIY? Will it be helpful to the Indian student?