The Hindu : New Delhi News : IITs want a better deal for faculty

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Friday, Apr 18, 2008
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IITs want a better deal for faculty

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: As they get ready to accommodate an increased number of students, the seven Indian Institutes of Technology across the country do not want the Union Government to hold up release of additional funds to meet the challenges that the Other Backward Classes quota implementation will unfurl.

A 13 per cent increase in the overall number of seats from this year will mean additional classrooms, laboratories, hostel rooms, staff and staff quarters, which translates into more expenditure for the IITs.

And to woo meritorious candidates for faculty positions, the IITs want the Government to ensure that the remuneration is lucrative.

Fast release of funds

“We have to make the package for the faculty attractive. Especially at the entry levels and junior posts, the salaries need to be reworked and made lucrative,” said IIT Guwahati Director Gautam Barua on the sidelines of a meeting of the seven IIT directors here in the Capital on Wednesday.

Though the Government has already announced a grant of Rs.770 crore for augmenting the infrastructure of the IITs, the IIT directors said expansion of infrastructure and faculty was essential for maintaining their position as centres of excellence; therefore the process of releasing funds to meet these expenses should be fast-tracked.

Stating that implementation of the OBC quota poses a “huge challenge”, IIT Delhi Director Surender Prasad said: “The challenge is in terms of meeting the infrastructure and faculty demands without diluting the quality. The IITs will remain centres of excellence.”

Referring to the current shortfall of qualified faculty members in IITs, Dr. Prasad said: “In Delhi we have 556 faculty positions of which 420 are filled. And as and when the 27 per cent reservation is rolled out, the faculty positions will go up to 856. ”

To be able to meet the requirements of additional infrastructure and faculty, the IITs will roll out the 27 per cent OBC reservation in three phases by reserving 9 per cent admission for the category from this year onward.

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