Seriously, I started blogging because several people asked me to write about factual data on publications, citations, higher education (numbers of graduates etc), pay scales etc. I am fascinated by statistics. I can sit for hours looking at numbers. I used to teach it as well but that is another story. The key is that the factual data is always missing even in the era of information overload.
For example, one newspaper report mentions that an assistant professor at IIT gets Rs. 12,000 while a IIT B.Tech graduate gets Rs. 1 lakh per month while another newspaper report says that IIT faculty can expect an 200% hike in salary with the basic salary going up from 12,000 to 37,000. Another report published today that discusses the Goverdhan Mehta report says that the basic has gone up from 20,000 to 48,000. These reports are factually wrong. The current salary for an assistant professor is 12,000 basic + 124% of dearness pay and dearness allowance. These are being merged into the new scale and thus the salary, which is already at 28,000 is going up to 37,000 and is thus an increase of only around 30%.
Even though we are in science and supposed to be objective, many scientists have no idea about the number of publications or graduates we produce or what comparable universities in US produce. Lots of ideas are based on perceptions and examples are given based on exceptions. It is surprising for many scientists to know that we produce less than 1000 doctorates in engineering and 50% of them are from IIT/IISc (Many IITs now produce more doctorates per year than IISc). Many refuse to believe that the number of engineering doctorates awarded to Indians in India is lesser than the number of engineering doctorates awarded to Indians in US universities alone.
Some one in the administration told me we (in India) produce 30 lakh engineering graduates and 5000 research papers per year. A B.Tech graduate who works in the National Knowledge Commission told me that the number of engineering graduates produced by India every year is around 30,000. I was even more surprised when this person had written a booklet on how to improve engineering education in India ! The actual numbers are 6 lakh engineering graduates and 30,000 research papers per year.
Some one in the administration told me we (in India) produce 30 lakh engineering graduates and 5000 research papers per year. A B.Tech graduate who works in the National Knowledge Commission told me that the number of engineering graduates produced by India every year is around 30,000. I was even more surprised when this person had written a booklet on how to improve engineering education in India ! The actual numbers are 6 lakh engineering graduates and 30,000 research papers per year.
When I expressed shock at these kind of statements to the director, he encouraged me to write a proposal to the government for a project to gather actual numbers for IISc, IITs, India etc. The government was most forthcoming to fund this. While some of the documents I write are indeed funded by the government, I felt the reports would be better disseminated if this was available freely (on a blog!) because there is nothing secretive about any of this. Thus, most of the articles on this blog are on higher education.
The more obvious reason I blog is because I write most of the time, whether it is proposals, projects, papers or reports. Having started reading books in pdf format, more than 75% of my waking hours are spent on reading or writing. So, why not write in a blog, whenever one finds time?
The more obvious reason I blog is because I write most of the time, whether it is proposals, projects, papers or reports. Having started reading books in pdf format, more than 75% of my waking hours are spent on reading or writing. So, why not write in a blog, whenever one finds time?
9 comments:
very true. And thanks for the blog. Indeed many of your post have taken away my perception.Keep it up !!
Dear Professor,
I think part of this post is inconsistent with your post about pay scales in IIT/IISC. Please see my comment on that post to see why.
Please do not accuse me of double counting and grade inflation without understanding what is written. The basic has gone up from 28,000 to 37,000, as mentioned here and in that post also. Add to this, DA of 22%, HRA of 30%, travelling Allowance (TA): 3,200 + 15% of DA
academic Allowance : 1,500, telephone : 1,500. There are also other allowances, which if you add will come to around 55 K. If you feel any of this is wrong, please tell me which allowance is wrong and where is the double counting.
Dear Professor,
There is still some confusion because you have written that earlier the total was 28k including dearness allowance, and these have been merged in the new pay scale. If they have been merged, then how come we are still adding DA @ 22%?
The new pay scale is effective 1.1.2006. As of March 1, 2009, the dearness allowance is 22% that needs to be added to the basic.
The 28,000 pay is what one got in 2006 in the old scale while it would have been 37,000 in the new scale.
So, now an assistant professor will get 37-39 K + DA of 22%, HRA of 30%, travelling Allowance (TA): 3,200 + 15% of DA academic Allowance : 1,500, telephone : 1,500. There are also other allowances, which if you add will come to around 55 K.
Dear Professor,
Thanks for these clarifications. I think you are now underestimating the total. Taking basic+ grade pay at 38k, the total before PF deduction is 68554. After deduction it is 64754.2 (using the calculations in your earlier post).
Another question, what is the role of the PF, is it used to pay the pension?
Isn't it better to err on the lower side rather than being accused of pay inflation and double counting? :-)
Very True. Today faculty positions even in reputed IIT and IIms are not sought after.
Teachers are paid poorly and even their services are not recognised. Our society prefers a software professional to a faculty position is really a tragidy. Its high time to attract talent to teaching positions by making it more lucarative than other careers.
and today is TEACHER's DAY!
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