Monday, December 21, 2009

Competition to attract faculty

The telegraph has an article on competition to attract faculty,

Once that is done, then the ministry should stand back and watch as the institutions compete among themselves to get the best people. The ministry could let the competition begin at home, before it goes global. And this should include playing full tilt at poaching quality faculty from institutions within the country. It should be possible to imagine the institutes of technology at Kanpur and Kharagpur vying with each other to work out the best offer for a brilliant candidate in the country. The universities can do this among themselves because they are governed by their own acts. But the Centre continues to keep the IITs under its wing in these matters, and it is now time to shed this kind of overseeing and controlling mindset.

It would be really interesting to see the competition between IITs and IISc to retain their best faculty. Incentives can include chair positions, enhanced infrastructure and better/assured funding.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

It is not an easy decision to change places in India. When faculty move, it is nearly impossible for them to take their students, facilities they brought in through their projects etc., along to their new location within the country. One has to start from scratch. And what to talk of petty politics of space and resource allocation within the Department. As on date, there are no financial incentives either that are worth talking about. Even PRIS policies that could be different in different institutes are not yet in place.

When one changes institute in India, often it is because of personal reasons such as the city does not offer job possibilities for the spouse, good education for children, good medical facilities or simply too far from home town.

I see competition being viable only when good US univs setup their campuses in India.

Giri@iisc said...

I agree with you but all the above can be changed (students, projects etc can be allowed to move; financial incentives can be given). However, there should be an willingness to change but it is unlikely.

Giridhar

Anonymous said...

@Phani:

Fully agree with you.. couldn't have said it better! And concur with Prof. Giri that change is highly unlikely, given the state of local politics - KK

Anonymous said...

Sir,

I am completing my PhD in economics from a top 30 department in the US. I plan to come back to India after my PhD. There is recent talk of an Indian Education Service. Do you know / guess anything about it - for ex, whether there will be any age limit (I worked for many years with the private sector before I went, so I will be 40 when I finish)?

Anonymous said...

Hi,

You told us in an earlier reply that for very senior professors the scale of 67000 to 79000 applies only to IISc and not to IITs or IIMs. I am a management professor in a very good school in India (dont want to name). Can management professors in IISc therefore aspire to the 67000 to 79000 scale (unlike in IIMs and IITs)?

Giri@iisc said...

Oh, my god. Another comment on pay scales. Anyway, here goes.

Having the scale of 67,000 to 79,000 is the same as being in Pb-4 of 37,400-67,000 with 12,000 grade pay. If you reach basic of 55,000 (which you reach within 7-8 years after becoming professor) with 12,000 grade pay, it is all the same monetarily.