Names of nobel laureates, top academicians proposed for IITs, IIMs

International academicians could be paid as much as $12,000 for a 20-day teaching session and $8,000 for a 15-day session

Names of about 20 Nobel laureates and proposals of over 800 academicians from abroad have been received to teach in institutes such as IITs and IIMs as part of government's Global Initiative of Academic Network (GIAN) programme.

The programme seeks to invite distinguished academicians, entrepreneurs, scientists, experts from premier institutions from across the world, to teach in the higher educational institutions in India.

International academicians could be paid as much as $12,000 for a 20-day teaching session and $8,000 is being proposed for a 15-day session.

Well-known faculty in Mathematics at Princeton University, USA Manjul Bhargava, who is spearheading the programme, has promised to rope in a bevy of 20 Nobel laureates, sources in the HRD Ministry said.

Besides, names of some "academic heavy-weights" from across the world have been proposed by about 80 centrally funded institutes to take classes and they are being currently examined.

"Queries are also coming in from various embassies about the interest shown by professors in their respective countries," sources said.

The programme, to begin with, would be confined to IITs, IIMs, NITs and central universities and in institutes with 'A' grade.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to spell in details of the GIAN initiative's contours during his visit to Canada shortly.

GIAN was first envisaged as purely an Indo-US collaboration but was later broadened in its scope to include more countries.

US has agreed to India's proposal to invite and host up to 1,000 American academics every year to teach in India.