Sibal urges IIT faculty to reconsider hunger strike
BS Reporters / New Delhi/Kolkata Sep 23, 2009, 00:20 IST
Reiterating the fact that the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) would not let the quality of the premier Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) suffer, Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal today said the decision of the IIT faculty to go on a hunger strike was against the IIT rules of conduct.
“The IITs have asked for autonomy but that doesn’t mean that we will not regulate them. The government has never interfered with their autonomy but will regulate the pay structure of IITs as we are answerable to Parliament. I ask them to reconsider their hunger strike. I am deeply pained at such a public outcry,” Sibal told reporters here today.
The MHRD’s latest notification on pay structure says that about 40 per cent of the professors in the IITs will be promoted to the senior grade after completing six years in the post. It also says that the PhD holders should be appointed as assistant professors on contract basis. As a mark of protest, the faculty members of all the seven IITs decided to go on a hunger strike on September 24, besides giving an ultimatum to the government till October 1 to sort out the issue.
Sibal countered that all the demands of the IIT faculty members have been met. “They have been treated fairly. But now, they are goading IIMs to follow the same. If IITs are government-funded, they will be regulated,” said Sibal.
When contacted for a response, B S Sastry, vice-president of IIT Kharagpur’s Teachers’ Association, reiterated: “We are committed to the protest fast on September 24. Although it will not be forced on any faculty, we assume most faculty across IITs will follow it for the day. We will carry out our responsibilities as usual, though.” M Thenmozhi, president of the All India IIT Faculty Federation, could not be reached for comment.
For the last few years, the IIT faculty associations have been disgruntled about their pay structures being inadequate to attract quality faculty. The IITs felt that the Goverdhan Committee report submitted this February — which recommends higher salaries for all technical education teachers — would help in resolving the issue.
However, the notified revised pay structure announced by the HRD ministry in early August was much lower than their expectations. The remuneration for directors of the IITs, IIMs, the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISc), Bangalore, and the National Institute of Industrial Engineering, was fixed at Rs 80,000. However, this did not go down well with them considering that unlike the IIM professors, who earn through consulting assignments, salary is the only income for an IIT professor.
Faculty associations were also unhappy about an HRD clause which said there would be a 40 per cent cap on professors who were eligible to receive higher pay after six years in the post. Also, at assistant professor level, the ministry had notified that one must have three years’ work experience and a PhD degree. This meant that IITs would not be able to take fresh graduates or doctorates as permanent faculty members.
MHRD will give IIMs autonomy if benchmarks are met: Sibal
The government will incrementally let go of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) if they table a five-year vision of benchmarks. “The more they achieve, the more freedom they will get,” said Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal when asked if the IIMs could be made completely autonomous, as they were financially independent. The ministry will meet the IIMs “very soon” on this issue.
The teacher and the soldier have been denigrated in India, by legislators and bureaucrats,a colonial British strategy upheld by Congress and BJP alike. When professorships in colleges was proposed MM Joshi rejected it, Arjun Singh somehow conceded it, but restricted it so heavily that it is a ploy to buy yesmen. Kapil Sibal is doing the same to IIT, only 40% can be full profs even of many more qualify. Legislators want quantity and reservations to manipulate votes. All univs and higher institutes have now 50 percent more seats but the same staff and infrastructure. With massive decline in higher education, Kapil Sibal is wrongly accusing IIT faculty of shirking elibility standards. Why does he not ask all univs and colleges to have 10 percent faculty as contractual,why in IITs only? Teachers can willingly face exacting eligibility provided political interference is eliminated. Did you not learn this at Harvard Sibalji? Why can alumni donors not share governace of univs?
Students put their best efforts and time to get into IITs.Only the Cream get in to IIT.Government spends a lot of money on them (which includes the pay hike of their teachers).After completing the course they migrate to foreign countries.Remember that they have studied with the tax payers money.Government should make a regulation that IITs should work for home land for a minimum of three years on the same lines as for MBBS graduates working in rural areas for one or two years.Otherwise US and UK will get best of lot from India without spending a penny.Hon HRD minister Mr.Kapil Sibal should look in to this matter.
Considering the austerity measures in the country the IIT faculty strike is not justified and uncalled for. Teaching is a noble profession and such agitations lower the respect of teachers in the eyes of society and students. As it is IIT teachers and research scientists are a pampered lot with stress-free working conditions, relaxed working hours, plenty of perks, sabbaticals, a lot of freedom, not much work pressure, hardly any accountability, retirement at 70 and reasonably good salaries after the pay commission. If they are so greedy they should quit teaching and join the rat race in the industry - you cannot have your cake and eat it too.
Posted by: levendris
September 27 , 2009, 02:43 IST
have u ever being a part of a good educational Instituation?If yes,then I am sorry for you because you are unable to visualize quality degradation & braindrain.If not,you can not feel it.In which way you think it is stress free to teach in iit?
Posted by: Ranga
September 23 , 2009, 12:18 IST
Fully agree with Anushree's ramarks.HRD minister should take stern action against the protesting Professors.They are asking for too much.
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