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3,339 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 2001 – 2200 of 3339 Newer› Newest»I am currently in the process of sending out applications to some IITs and IISc. I have a question about recommendations and hope that someone here may offer an insight.
Typically at what stage do IIX ask for recommendation letters from the referees? Would they also write to me at the same time so that I can make sure that my referees have sent their letters?
Thanks
Prashant
Hi,
I recently (2nd week of feb) appeared for videoconfrence interview with chem eng dept iit delhi. However, i am still awaiting a response. Should i assume that since its beenn longer that 2 weeks, i am rejected? How long does it take after the first round of interview with dept. generally, and what are the next steps? If called further, do i need to go to delhi physically? I am currently in canada, finishing my PhD. Also, i know i am being overambitious here, but is there any chance a fresh PhD would be selected? I have 7 published papers already witn total impact factor pf around 17.
Thanks
Anu
Hello,
Very nice blog!! Thanks for the great work.
Just wondering if anyone can advise the time delay between interviews, and offers for AP at IIT Delhi ??
Thanks
Anchal
Hello Anu...
If there is no response from the institute for 3 weeks or more, please contact them..generally if you do not hear anything within 6 weeks and none replies to your mails, please go ahead with your future steps.. I know this is annoying/frustrating. but this is how the IIT system works..
I got an interview call today from UGC-FRP (biological sciences), for the 25th march though applied 2 years back. Is this the 1st round or the only round? Since none of my references know about sending any recommendation letters, I wonder how serious is this going to be. Any advice or news about this will be highly appreciated.
For FRP interview candidate:
See when you fill online application for UGC FRP, there is notification immediately sent to your referees to fill online the recommendation and send it back.
There is only one interview, Hope it helps. Good luck and best wishes for your interview
I have noticed that one recently started central university recruited multiple couples as faculties in different departments. Some of their profile is not so good and I am wondering if this recruitment is based on recommendations or through connections. Some how I cannot let it go like this and I filed a RTI asking for the names of all faculty applicants in that particular department. Is this information falling under RTI? I just want to have a look if there were better candidates with better publication record.But of course I have no any source to know about their interview performance or anything else. Is there anything else I can do?
Brother, hiring couples is not a crime, as long as they are both competent. This is often done in the USA and Europe to attract faculty. This is especially true of institutions located in remote places where job options for spouse are scarce. There is always some degree of subjectivity in hiring, so you will not be able to prove that 1 candidate is better than another. For example, if a candidate is stellar on paper, but gives a poor seminar, s/he may not be hired. You should not be wasting your time doing an RTI, unless the candidates are really bad.
-H
Yes, I did not mention anywhere that hiring a couple is a crime. Indeed I support this attitude but not compromising quality and also snatching others opportunity. More over my spouse is also in science. So I know the situation quite well. That is all the point. Any way I know that it wouldn't make any difference as they will always mention about interview performance and other stuff. But this is just to satisfy my inner call. That's all about it it.I looked up to this university with lot of expectations but the way it is building up is not so encouraging. There are other reasons which is probably not necessary to mention here.
Hello,
does anybody have any news about the new IIT and IISER at Tirupati. I find that admissions have started. Are they hiring?
Dr. G Madras.
You are doing a great service for future faculty for our country. However, I feel we have to change our attitude to allow brilliant minds to join us not just brilliant followers.
@Anu: Yes, you are being overambitious!
P.S. My judgement is on the basis of modest data of 7-8 applicants (my friends and me; applied to newer IITs). One of these candidates who has 10+ papers as first author (with total IF > 34) and PhD from IISc was not even called for job talk/seminar from any of 3 IITs (newer). Last I heard, he was trying to enrol in 2nd PhD from some obscure Aus university (for PR of course)!
Curious about status of application for INSPIRE faculty scheme-
Status for my INSPIRE application is shown as "In Progress". However, the URL for the application status page in browser reads as: http://www.online-inspire.gov.in/ViewApplicationStatus/RejectByCM
It's been only days since I submitted my application for this scheme! I am alarmed by this "RejectByCM". Apparently, 'In Progress' status is displayed for all candidates long after the final outcome and even for rejected applicants.
Has anyone else noticed the same thing?
Anu,
In chem engg, 7 papers is very high. After you join, IITs will not even expect 1-2 papers in six years for promotion. Recently, a faculty in IIT-B who had ZERO publications in six years after his Ph.D from IISc got promoted to associate professor.
In chemical engineering, you do not need to publish too much for becoming a professor. 10-15 is fine in 10 years. After that you can publish another 10 in the next twenty years and lead a happy life.
Do not take the examples like Prof. Giri who have nothing else to do except write papers, guide students, write projects etc. If you want to work that hard, you do not need a government job like IITs, better to be in USA or Canada.
Do not look at the comments like you need 10 papers etc. All that is hogwash. Recently, IIT Hyderabad recruited a faculty with one paper and IIT Gandhinagar recruited someone who has ZERO first author paper. So, good luck and performance in interview and seminar is important.
After joining also, do not get into the publication or doing research. Relax and enjoy life. That is what IITs are meant for.
Many have problems in the recruitments in premier institutes of India. Some claim that it is transparent.
Let us analyse the performance of those selected meritorious candidates in premier institutes IIT, etc over a period to the standardised average good performance in India.
The same thing compared to the recruited faculties in USA compared to the standardised average good performance in US situations.
I will be happy if the results show that the recruitment in India is efficient.
While selection committee denies an applicant for various reasons that he might not be a suitable faculty for their premier institute. They also should take responsibility of their recruitment efficiency
many take the premier institute tag and enjoy by being in the premier institute. Unfortunately they will be in every other committee in India and do good things whatever they can do.
Dear all,
I would like to know is there any list of UGC-recognized foreign universities. I have done a Ph. D from USA and have been appointed as an Assistant professor at State-level university which is one of the top university in India. However, I am not given post-PhD increments and getting salary considering MSc degree as qualification citing the reason that my university is not UGC recognized.
Although my question is not related to IIT or IISc, I would be greatful if someone guide me further. thanks.
@ Anonymous March 18, 2015 at 4.05 PM
http://www.ugc.ac.lk/en/universities-and-institutes/recognized-foreign-universities.html
Does someone know when the Chemistry AP interviews take place this year at IITD? What are the typical timelines from application to decision stage? What about the age? Thanks in advance.
In relation to previous post, crossing 35 years is a big crime in Indian academia to get a AP position?
@anon friend who wanted list of UGC recognised foreign universities gets the list for Sri Lanka as it was not clear which UGC ...
Can anyone comment about benefits under the UGC-FRP scheme. Other than salary, does the scheme provide any sort of medical or other benefits.
The site itself does not list much information about this.
Thanks,
M
I would also like to know "crossing 35 years is a big crime in Indian academia to get a AP position?"
in case it is pre PhD industrial experience that makes it 35+?
Any selection committee members?
Dear Prof.,
I am (34yrs Female) about to complete my Ph.D from IISc. I am bit confused whether to join any IIT on contractual basis right now or go for post doc. If I go for Post doc, then after 3 yrs I may not eligible for any IITS due to the age limit.
Without post doc, I may not get too much bandwidth in my research
as my current research is limited to fundamental studies.
So please guide me.
Regards,
IIsc Student
Dear Dr.Giri,
I had an interview in biological science , iisc on novemeber 2014. I called the department chairman recently, he told me that further communication is from the administrative office. He didn't say yes or No for selection. So far no recommendation letters was asked from the references that i mentioned in my application. May I contact administrative office and ask about the information about my selection?
I am in a position to choose other options. is IISC council meeting over? I appreciate your help regarding this issue
Response to Anon 4.07 Pm
Comments about the recruitment efficiency in India.
Prof's. Sriram/Giridhar can give their opinions.
Anon wants "Prof's. Sriram/Giridhar can give their opinions."
What is there to say that I haven't said here already? Anon at 4:07 pm has some proposition / theory, I have no inclination to prove or disprove it. All I can say from personal observation is that IIT faculty recruitment works with good signal to noise ratio. Maybe 2% of selections are misses - some good candidates are missed out and some not-so-good candidates make it through. I do not agree with the conspiracy theory mongers here according to whom the selection processes are all terribly flawed - no, they are not.
The IISc council meeting is over. The chairman should tell you the results. If he does not want to tell you, ask some young faculty you met during your visit. At least, they will be able to tell you unofficially.
My experience is there is a genuine effort by top institutes to make recruitment transparent as well as efficient. However, there are certain elements who will push some candidates for obvious reasons. Criteria should be hire the best among the applicants but also remember you need to know what you really need in the department. 10 faulty of quantum physics out of 12 will not help the physics department.
Thank you very much Prof. Sriram for your comments.
Let us be neutral at this point and not to believe any theory.(2% miss or completely flawed recruitment).
But go for the analysis of the performance of the recruited candidates in premier institutes and compare the standards for a period of time.
The outcome of data will also suggest us what is preventing or favouring the good candidates to perform. Work on those aspects to get the premier institutes in higher ranking. All we want to see is atleast Indian premier institutes improve ranking or recognition for their research or quality education globally.
Indian scientist says 10 out of 12..................
If the dept needs people with specific research interest shortlist only them for interview.
@anonymous
Your concern is understandable...On a greater context India as a country has decided to be the slave for US & UK permanent..Even that decision need to be done by the brahmin community..
history knows India failed in reach..Everyone knows why? what's the point of fighting with meaningless community?
@ anonymous
There are mistakes happening in the system. But I believe it is difficult to complain about the recruitment system as flawed on a whole. In my opinion, the selection process is reasonably fine.
I have received an offer from one of the new IITs in Mechanical department.I do not know anybody from IITs. My personal opinion is things are honest.
Hi,
Currently I have a OCI passport. Soon I am planning to join in a IIX in a reqular position. I am just wondering what will happen to my OCI passport after I take up the position at IIX. Do I need to get back my Indian Passport?. Any inputs regarding this issue?
Things don't seem to look good at IIT Jodhpur. Can anyone with first-hand information provide some inputs here?
http://www.insightiitb.org/2015/iit-jodhpurs-predicament/
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/unrest-brewing-at-iitjodhpur-over-directors-diktat/article7062969.ece
http://www.insightiitb.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/IITJ-Students-Report.pdf
See, specially, pages 20-30 of the above PDF document.
If the things written there have even 50% truth, it seems like a no-go zone for prospective faculty.
Things don't seem to look good at IIT Jodhpur. Can anyone with first-hand information provide some inputs here?
http://www.insightiitb.org/2015/iit-jodhpurs-predicament/
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/unrest-brewing-at-iitjodhpur-over-directors-diktat/article7062969.ece
http://www.insightiitb.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/IITJ-Students-Report.pdf
See, specially, pages 20-30 of the above PDF document.
If the things written there have even 50% truth, it seems like a no-go zone for prospective faculty.
So a friend recently asked this question. I wonder if anyone here familiar with the system can answer this?
"
Do on-contract assistant professors joining IITs get maternity leaves?
I have a Phd and two years of postdoctoral experience, now planning to get back to India. I am presently writing my grant for independent fellowship and simultaneously will be applying to IITs. Since I don't have 3 years of work experience after Phd so if selected I will on-contract position. I want to know if on-contract assistant professors get maternity leaves or not.
Many thanks in advance.
"
IIT Jodhpur protests are very depressing and this is following resignation by chair of selection committee. Did they take right decisions to being with?
http://indianscienceleaders.blogspot.com/
Dear prospective faculty..
i was interviewed by IITJ for assistant professor position in mechanical engg..i have a phd from one of the prestigious universities in the world..
I never got a reply after one month of interview...when i contacted a assistant prof. I was informed by him that selection was done by a external committee setup by the director...
but the pity is i was never interviewed by the external committee who are claimed to be the experts..when i gave my seminar by skype only the present assistant professors in the department and the director were there..
i wonder how a decision of rejecting a candidate is made without being interviewed by the selection panel or a shortlisting panel which does not have senior members..
if you need proofs of this info, please post your mail id..
Dear OCI-joining-IIX-soon, nothing happens to your passport, it is your choice what you want to do to it. IIX can hire OCI to regular permanent positions. As long as you keep your OCI status, you can continue. There is no compulsion to give up your foreign citizenship / passport. If, however, you give up your OCI status while retaining the foreign passport, you cannot continue in the permanent position, you will have to shift from that to a contract position. MHRD guidelines provide for 5 year (renewable) contract for such cases of non-OCI foreign citizens. If you choose to give up your OCI and your foreign passport and reclaim your Indian citizenship, nothing happens to your position, you just continue in your permanent regular position (with an internal administrative note in your file that you have changed from OCI to "CI"). Mail me offline if you have more specific questions that may not be of general interest.
IITJ faculty candidate wonders "how a decision of rejecting a candidate is made without being interviewed by the selection panel or a shortlisting panel which does not have senior members". I am at a loss to understand this. Isn't this how shortlisting generally works - without seeing / interviewing the candidate? Having the candidate give a seminar adds to the shortlisting process (IITM does this at department level, seems to have been same at IITJ). But I am confused again as our candidate reports "i was interviewed by IITJ". Was there an interview or was there only a seminar? In any case, if this was only shortlisting, what is the problem? Selection committee interviews should have external experts on the panel, not junior IITJ faculty. Also, one issue with all the "new" IITs is that they have very few (often none) senior faculty members.
http://scroll.in/article/718653/students-at-iit-jodhpur-organise-mock-funeral-of-peace-of-mind-and-demand-directors-resignation
This is the situation of IIT-Jodhpur..
am really amused with some of the faculties that everything in IIT-J is transparent...to get a faculty job you need to please the director..if not you are not selected or fired later..
Dear friend of "expecting" (perhaps friend of soon to be expecting, or maybe it is really soon to be expecting ;-0), law requires contract employees also to be given maternity leave, but the period of leave may be limited and there is also a minimum period of service required before maternity leave can be availed. However, IIX faculty on contractual appointments (because they are short of the 3 years experience clause) do not fall under this category, they are generally treated the same as permanent regular employees - meaning full maternity leave benefits.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/police-arrest-iit-guwahati-dean-for-alleged-rape/
this is another IIT's morality...what a dean to have for such a prestigious institute...i wonder how these people create good students...
Thanks iitmsriram for clarifying the maternity leave rules.
Prof. Sriram
Can you give some information when
the shortlisting and interview at IIT Madras for the current round can be expected?
Thanks
anon asks "when the shortlisting and interview at IIT Madras for the current round can be expected?". I will post at the applications site also. Shortlisting is expected April - May and interviews late May - June, perhaps into July. Offer letters expected around end of July.
Thanks a lot Prof Sriram.
One more query the website https://facapp.iitm.ac.in says "Applicants can now only view their application form and its status".
So does it mean those who are not shortlisted will be also able to view their status finally?
Some NITS already display the list of successful candidates on their website and in some cases (e.g. NIT Rourkela) even unsuccessful applicants can also view their status with reason of disqualification. A big step to transparency!
anon asks "So does it mean those who are not shortlisted will be also able to view their status finally?". Yes, this feature has been implemented in the applications web site facapp.iitm.ac.in last year itself. The site progressively shows departments for which shortlisting is completed and individuals logging in get either a regret or congratulatory note on the sign on screen.
@iitmsriram at April 12, 2015 at 10:35 PM:
Kudos to IITM for implementing this feature. I hope it is extended to all other IITs in the near future.
Is anyone aware when is the shortlisting / interviews expected at IIT Roorkee?
Whether anybody received interview call from IIT-BHU recently?
Hi All,
Any news on DST-Inspire faculty shortlisting/shortlisted candidates for 2015? Thanks!
Dear Prof.Giri, Prof.Sriram, what is the expected time for review of RAMANUJAN FELLOWSHIP Application?
Kindly let me know, I am waiting since last 6 months for the outcome of my application
Can Anyone comment on the new IIT hyderabad. I hear its good among the new IITs. what about the funding for research and other infrastructure like campus housing?
Prof. Sriram
wrt recent fac advt at IITM , should the applicant request the referees to send the recommendation letter to IITM themselves , or will the IITM administration directly ask the referees ?. Could you kindly clarify
I went through this process last year and yes, it is up to applicant to arrange for the support letters to be sent to the facapp email address or to the Chairman of the relevant department. --Vijay.
Thanks Vijay. From the advertisement (instructions) "Candidates are requested to contact the referees to send letters of reference directly to the Heads of the concerned departments, I.I.T. Madras, Chennai 600 036 either by post or by email; email addresses are listed at the IIT Madras website.".
Thanks Prof. Sriram and Vijay.
Dear Prof. Sriram
I hope you can clarify me on a question about INSPIRE fellowship.
I will be joining in IIT-Mandi soon. But I position is contract basis as I do not have 3 years post doc experience yet.
I understand that I am eligible to avail the INSPIRE faculty award (only the research grant). However, please clarify me whether the application for this case need to be done on a direct/nomination mode or through institute mode.
It will be very helpful.
Dear Harish,
Apply thru direct mode. Best wishes.
Thanks a lot !
Dear Prof. Sriram (iitmsriram),
Suppose a candidate applies to two depts at IITM and both depts are interested, what happens then?
Will both depts shortlist, interview and make individual decisions/offers? or they ask the candidate to pick one before the interview?
Thanks
Siri
Siri,
Yes. My student appeared for interview in two departments in IIT Madras and she got in both. She finally joined in one of them.
Thanks
Giridhar
Dear Anon (April 15, 2:03 PM) worrying about IIT Hyderabad,
It is still in a temp campus, so infra is a big issue. 5 lakhs seed grant (requires a research proposal). Most faculties get MTech students in the beginning but very few get PhD students in the first few yrs. Due to this, admin and teaching takes a center stage. Selection rounds are once a yr or max twice a yr.
Prof. Giri, thanks for the quick response :)
In this situation, can the candidate choose both, i.e. one main dept and the other adjunct? Prof. Sriram, is this an option at IITM?
Thank you both for your time and patience,
Siri
Siri, at IITM there is no such thing as main department and adjunct department. As an old friend used to ask, "But why?" IITM has enabled faculty members to teach courses listed in other departments and also take on PhD scholars applying to other departments (we have set up what is called the n+1 gate - n gates for the departments and a (n + 1)th common gate through which interested candidates can seek access and interested faculty can select aspiring PhD candidates. We used to have an old "associated faculty" title which has now become defunct, probably because of above.
Dear Prof.Giri, Prof.Sriram, what is the expected time for review of RAMANUJAN FELLOWSHIP Application?
Kindly let me know, I am waiting since last 6 months for the outcome of my application.
I would appreciate your guidance in this.Should I apply again as I have not heard anything, may be My Application is not successful?
dear anon, I have no idea about timeline of Ramanujan fellowships, I have no connection with it. Maybe, you need to contact someone in DST or SERC.
Dear all,
I am wondering what is the rationale behind asking for SIX referees for fields such as Biology and Chemistry and FOUR for Mathematics and Physics in IISERs. I suppose the common norm is for three references. If a Biological/Chemical Sciences aspirant has done one Ph D and one post doc, ideally speaking there will be a maximum of two or three people who can assess him/her. It would be nice to know if we can get some insights from the respected people here.
Thank you in advance.
Best
Ravi
Dear Prof. Sriram,
How difficult to get an Associate Professor job at IITM, if the candidate is an Assistant Professor at one of the premier institute in India with good number of quality publications and projects with no admin experience. Also please mention how much lab space and initial grant IITM provides at Associate level. Thanking you in advance for your kind help.
anon asks "How difficult to get an Associate Professor job at IITM". Well, no different from any other faculty position. If you have publications, thats good. If you don't have PhD guidance, that will be a problem. If the publication record is impressive enough, selection committee is likely to offer but with a (verbal) disclaimer that promotion to Prof is likely to be delayed (so that sufficient record of PhD production can be built up). Admin experience is not required at associate prof entry point but will be expected at time of prof promotion. Start up funds are same for all new comers - initiation grant of 5 lakhs right away plus 20 lakhs or more as startup grant, based on a proposal + defence; at associate level, we would expect candidates to get external funding right away. Space depends on department and your requirements.
Hello Prof. Sriram, Could you please also mention about the age factor for assistant professorship. Is it so hard to get a position for a fellow who crossed 35 years old.
Re-Posting:
If anyone have news on DST-Inspire faculty shortlisted candidates for 2015, kindly share. Thanks!
@anon wondering about becoming assistant prof post 35, not a major issue. If there is some good reason why you are coming in a bit late, most departments will accommodate. If you went straight from UG college to PhD track, even with a year or two of postdoc, you would be around 30, so 35+ would need some explanation. Some departments blindly use 35 as cutoff, unfortunately. In most cases, an explanatory email to HoD will at least get a foot in the door and have someone apply mind and look at application, surely worth a try.
Dear Prof. Sriram
With reference to IIT Madras
how many (minimum) publications are required to be short listed for interview at Engineering departments?
Does publication during Masters also count?
Further to your above comment to anon- doesn't writing to HOD means canvassing? I don’t understand the term properly but some advertisements write canvassing may disqualify candidate.
Regards
SM
@SM, each department sets its own publication count, but we have generally moved away from this approach. There is a minimum count that is set quite low so that the chance of a worthwhile candidate falling below that is minimal. After that, someone reads over the papers and provides the selection committee with comments and the selection committee does the shortlisting.
Canvassing is a broad term, but I don't believe this is an issue at IIXs.
Thank you Prof. Sriram for sharing the information!
SM
Recently read that the new IITs (Tirupati/Palghat/Goa/Chattisgarh) are going to have intake from this session.
Any clues when they are going to start recruitment process?
Dear Prof. iitmsriram,
Recently i visited IITM and gave a talk, and of course have applied online against the March advertisement. Now, if IITM shortlists me for interview, can i give skype interview and still get a regular position (non contract)? Or do i have to visit again to avoid contract position?
If i have to visit again, will IITM pay for international airfare?
I have applied to two depts, and if both shortlist me then will the interviews be in the same week? Otherwise i have to travel twice from abroad and IITM may have to pay twice?
Thanks for all your posts; you are the best IIT dean ever, and i mean it :-)
@flatterer anon ! No, leave that aside. Like in the tale of the men being chased by the bear, I don't have to outrun the bear, so any claim to greatness remains ungauged and unknown.
If you have visited in person sometime recently, the offer will usually be regular even if the selection committee interview was by Skype. Of course, this is upto the selection committee. Yes, you will get air fare reimbursed (within limits), and multiple times if you participate in multiple interviews. Dates are mostly based on availability of external experts though we do try to accommodate the handful of multi-department candidates.
IIT pays international fare for attending interviews!!!!
Never heard that before!
I thought they only paid train fare within the country...looks like things are rolling.
Prof. iitmsriram, thank you so much for the information.
PS: I was not trying to flatter you, i still believe you deserve it for your pro-activeness.
Respected dr. Giri
Can you please tell me that how many rounds or list published by IISC for ME admission through GATE. and how can I know the cutoff of direct admission in M.E.
Prof Sriram:
Thanks for your responses!
I wanted to know in IIT faculty selection, do the selection committee gives marks for seminar and interview for the candidates called. Is it the criteria for selection, if so the candidates who were not offered can write to know the basis of their rejection.
Anybody received interview call from IIT Bhubaneswar recently?
I have received AP offer letter from one of the IIX with one increment. I was wondering if it would provide any benefit in seniority also (with those joining with me without increment)? After three years, when I would get the 9000 grade pay, will my increment still remain? What about the duration for promotion in Associate professor?
Thank you
anon wonders "in IIT faculty selection, do the selection committee gives marks for seminar and interview". To the best of my knowledge, no. I can say with certainty that at least in the last 25 years, this has not been done at IITM. I would expect similar at other IITs. This also has legal sanction; in a case pertaining to faculty appointments at IIT Madras, the Madras High court has expressed an opinion as follows: "The experts who are to be in the Selection Committee are people of erudition and international repute in the subject. Such kind of experts, in my considered opinion, do not require any such fixed guidelines. Out of their vast experience, they could evaluate the calibre and knowledge of the candidate and to test whether such candidate would be eligible for appointment."
I have received an AP offer from one of the IIXs with one increment. I was wondering if it would provide any benefit in seniority also (with those joining with me without increment)? How many years it will take to get the 9000 grade pay (2 or 3 years??), and after that, will my increment still remain? will the increment would reduce the duration for the promotion in Associate professor by one year?
I was wondering if Prof. Giridhar could advise me on that??
Thank you
Dear Prof. Sriram,
My understanding of the selection committee at IITM is as follows:
2 Experts + HOD + Director + Dean admin + 1 Silent observer appointed by Visitor = 6 people; Is this correct?
Another query is regarding the experts. Are there different subject experts for each set of candidates, or are they common to the whole department?
For example, let us consider physics dept (hypothetical scenario):
Candidate - Magnetism
HOD - Atomic physics
Director - Electronics
Expert 1 - Gravity
Expert 2 - Bio-physics
Now, how will they coordinate and judge the candidate, unless of course the two experts are in the same field as the candidate? But since the dept may interview 30-40 candidates belonging to different streams, will they appoint individual experts for each field?
Thanks for your time,
Bala
Thanks Prof Sriram for your comments.
But atleast the comments of the expert should be available in paper for record why a candidate is selected/not selected? This will indicate more transparency and candidate will feel satisfied to know why even he was rejected over others. This will also be a record later to analyze if the candidate has contributed something after selection and reasons for selection were justified or not. of course, In india we need more accountability to reach international ranking.
In central universities recruitment, even they mention the reason why a candidate was not called for interview. Even experts are called for evaluation there. Does the quality of experts differ?
Iam not sure why it cant be followed In IIT. It is just a desire from one of the aspiring candidates.
But Thanks prof. Sriram for your comments we greatly appreciate for your active responses.
@bala, I don't believe any selection committee anywhere does assessment with experts who have this level intimacy with the candidates' field. Such an assessment may be done external to the committee and given as an input to the committee. I don't believe a selection committee needs to understand and appreciate any candidates' work to that level of detail in order to come to a selected / not selected decision.
@anon desires "comments of the expert should be available in paper". If you only want to know what is the shortcoming and how to remedy it "for next time", most selection committee members, heads and directors will informally share that information with you. If you want it on paper, it is unlikely you will get far - any reasonable person will assume that the sole intent is not to remedy for future but to drag this one to court or to generate publicity.
And, I am not sure if IITs should try to emulate central universities or if it should be the other way around.
I think the following post may be of interest in this thread.
http://dsanghi.blogspot.in/2015/05/the-quality-of-faculty.html
Prof. Sriram:
Thanks very much for your reply.
I am not sure what publicity one wanted to spend time and money in court when he is aspiring for position in these institutes.
The blog you shared is amazing and it answers everything what we are discussing here.
I have a similar question as anon asked in May 11th post about the increment benefits. I have an AP offer with two increments. I was wondering in this situation how many years it will take to get the higher grade pay (9000)and what would be my salary after that? Are two increments considered as two years experience towards seniority??
Could Prof. Iitmsriram advice us in this topic??
Thanks
@anons wondering about increments: increment does not confer seniority, it is only a recognition of prior years of experience. Any relevant experience can be recognised by the selection committee for increments, but for 9000 grade, 3 years at 8000 grade assistant professor (or equivalent) is required. "Any" experience may not count for this. And these increments will not carry on into 9000 or associate professor grade.
The age limit in IIX's for Assistant Professor position is 35. If you are above 35, you are probably not eligible to apply, but you are eligible to become the president of the country, for which the MINIMUM age is 35! Is this contradictory? I would appreciate if someone cares to reply. I am actually looking for a logical explanation rather than trying to criticize anything.
@anon about 35 age limit: Well, age is indicated as preferably below 35 for entry level asst prof. At IITM, this is treated as it sounds - preferably. In reality, about 25% of asst professors are above 35 when they join (and another 25% are below 30). The median age at asso prof promotion is about 40. So, those who enter as asst prof well above 35 may feel age mismatch with their peers as they will most probably not be able to qualify for asso prof before they are 42 or more. Standard interview question for over 35 asst prof candidates at IITM is "you realise possibility of peer age mismatch, handle it? how?". Those who worked before going for PhD and those who took time off to start a family are typically in this situation and if they appear to be mentally prepared to handle the peer age mismatch, age drops out as a factor. Why single out faculty, civil services has age limit too, why?
Recently. I attended an interview in IIT-Mandi. Anybody have idea, when it is expected to know the selection results.
Anyone received interview call from Mechanical @ IIT Madras?
Can anyone elaborate on the medical benefits available for the staff & family at IIT/NITs during service and post retirement?
Dear Prof. iitmsriram,
I am the anon who asked question about age limit of 35.
You have asked why single out faculty, not civil services etc, for the issue of age limits. It is a good point, but I don't understand civil service that much, so hard to argue there. In fact, why do they have age limit as 40 in Fields medal, could be another question. That is even more bizarre. As if solving open problems is award worthy only if you are young. It puts more emphasis on human beings than on knowledge.
In my opinion, age and determination often leads to maturity, and this combined with good communication skills and sound technical knowledge leads to good teaching and research. I am kind of surprised (even shocked) that wisdom is so much downplayed in academics (at least in USA). I think Indian culture is different, we value wisdom, we listen to our elders (if you believe in these kind of stuff). It is perhaps surprising that age limit exists in Indian academics.
You actually said something very interesting, you ask candidates if they can handle age mismatch. Please help me understand this better. I understand that Indian society is obsessed with doing things in age limit, education, marriage, kids, jobs, etc. So, I guess it is not surprising that this percolates in academic life as well. Is that it?
Another question: do you also ask very young faculty members the same question? I mean if they can handle age mismatch? I have met and worked (published) with many young faculty members from IIX, and even in USA (with PhD from top 3 schools). Most are of course brilliant, and perhaps truly deserving of what they have achieved. But, observing them for a period of time made me realize that they are a bit immature. I felt that they got their BTech, MS, PhD so fast, that they hardly had time to sit on a chair and think about what life is and who they are (of course I am not saying everyone is like that). You know the kind of thought process that comes after drinking a cup of tea and looking out of the window for a loooong time. Does these young members are any better suited to be a faculty and motivate and guide PhD students?
I know it is very easy to be anonymous and throw these questions at you and put you on the spot. I apologize if any of my questions or comments are inappropriate.
@anon about interview calls at IITM, as it says in the portal "Please watch this space for updates on this portal and about the recruitment process." As shortlisting proceeds and interview call letters are mailed out, the web site will display departments for which this has been done. So, keep an eye out there.
@anon about age, well, people tend to compare themselves to those around them. When colleagues in similar career stage (post) are talking about life issue xxx, the older person gets shut out (yeah, been there, done that ...). Yes, this age consciousness is probably much higher in India and the societal pressure comes on the older colleague. The immaturity of the young, on the other hand, tends not to affect the young person, but colleagues around have to learn to put with the immaturity. So, the question becomes "can we handle this person's (possible) immaturity?" - not something to ask the candidate!
@iitmsriram Thank you for the information about call letters.
Does the facapp iitm website display real time information?
Dear Prof. Sriram and Anon (who raised the 35 year age limit question),
It was interesting to know your thoughts regarding this issue. I am also a postdoc (at a major research university in USA) just above 35 yr age and interested in faculty position in India. The age bar is not an issue for faculty hiring here in US. In fact, one is not even supposed to mention age in any of the application materials or CV. Having seen many candidates well over 35 year age get faculty position and succeed in their careers in US, I am not sure if this is a reasonable benchmark to judge the intellectual/scholarly capability of a faculty candidate and hope the authorities give a rethink to this issue. On the other hand, I am highly encouraged by Prof. Sriram's comment that about 25 % of Asst. Prof's at IITM are above 35 when they join. This at least gives a ray of hope to folks like us. Can Dr Sriram/Dr Giri or other readers on this blog provide some insights if this trend (of "overage" new APs) is also common in other IIXs/IISERs ? If yes, does the selection committee expect some explanation in cover letter in order to shortlist such candidates ?
Thank you very much in advance.
MS
IISc has always recruited faculty above 35. Please read the word "preferably"
The selection committee makes the decision taking several factors into account and a straight answer is often not possible.
Please check NITW notification:
http://www.nitw.ac.in/nitw/index.php/component/content/article/854
Prof. Giri, Its heartening to know that the flexibility in age criteria is prevalent to such an extent in more than one institutes in India. This is nothing short of an eye opener for me. Its difficult to get such insights anywhere else and I greatly appreciate your reply.
I understand that the age criteria is qualified by the word "preferably". I am currently sending applications to India. Although I am yet to know that the age issue is moving against me but I wonder if some institutes can merely use this as a cutoff criteria to limit the number of candidates for next stages of screening. In that scenario, would you suggest to explicitly bring up this issue with any explanations in the cover letter ? I am a bit confused as it might also appear too defensive. Thanks once again.
MS
Is this true?
http://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/HRDs-Revolutionary-Chapter-on-Faculty-Mobility-Could-Unlock-JNU-DU-Fortresses/2014/12/07/article2558823.ece
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/death-by-a-thousand-cuts/
Will faculty at central universities be transferred like other babus? Does this imply that there will no academic freedom in the future?
Perhaps seniors profs like Sriram or Giridhar can comment on this, and if this will be carried forth to other IIXs.
No one in their right mind will join any central or government funded institution in India if academic freedom is taken away in India
Is there anyone who applied or recruited to Central Universities? How do they value the API score. Does 60% of total score comes from API? If you are a contributing author in a paper, how do you calculate your score? I heard that we have to produce the conference attendance certificate to consider the score of attended conferences? Kindly share your experience and opinion about Central University recruitment.
@Highly concerned: I am getting the feeling that higher education in India is a sinking ship. If the proposed plan for central universities comes in, young faculty should try to move to other places. Indeed existing faculty, should, in their own interest, start testing the waters, looking for other jobs.
From my own experience, I don't find people doing this -- rather they remain in denial or in suffering until the truth really hits them hard. Thanks to this, considering the trajectory we are on, in about 5-7 years from now, India would be in the same position as eastern Europe was in the early 1990's, with plenty of smart and qualified faculty, but with miserable jobs in abject government run universities. The best will probably be poached by universities from other countries (Australia, Canada, Malaysia, middle east etc).
-Worried
Anonymous (MS),
Who said there is no age bar in the USA? They work on age since PhD. If your PhD certificate is issued in 2010, you are 5 yrs now (in 2015) and you will be hireable till 2020 (PhD + 10). After that you loose your ESI status from NIH and universities will loose interest in you. Also Postdoc beyond 5 yrs is considered not positive unless there is an excellent reason. So the best age to get recruited in the US university is PhD + 5 yrs. There are exceptions everywhere but this is just to give you an idea. Now Indians they came up with the magic number 35. If an engineer from DRDO decides to pursue a PhD after 40 and by the time he/she is ready for after a postdoc (5 yrs), he/she will be 50. This person will be eligible for a faculty position in the US but not India.
"This person will be eligible for a faculty position in the US but not India."
You are wrong, DRDO scientists have been hired at the age of 45 or even 50 at the level of associate professor and even as a professor in one case that I know.
About all this 35 years criteria debate IIT madras advertisement says "Candidates preferably should be below 35 years of age" but in BOLD where lot of other things are in normal font
:)
Anon @ May 21, 2015 at 11:35 PM:
About looking for other options, how difficult is it for a faculty at IIT with PhD from abroad to obtain an academic position in US /Europe?
I know a handful of cases where IIT faculty with PhDs from abroad have moved US/UK/NZ etc. But they seem to get subpar jobs (either "lecturer"-type positions with no security, long hours and low salary, or in shoddy universities with bad colleagues and dull students).
But I respect that they have seen things for as they are and taken steps that others only fantasize about.
-Worried
@iitmsriram: In one of the posts you have mentioned "The site progressively shows departments for which shortlisting is completed and individuals logging in get either a regret or congratulatory note on the sign on screen"
The site displays that shortlisting is complete for one of the departments that I had applied. But on logging I do not get any message nor have I received any email communication.
Should I assume that I am unsuccessful?
Thanks in advance!
@wondering-if-shortlisted-anon, click on shortlist status and you will get a message - one way or the other.
@iitmsriram Could you let us know typically how many candidates are shortlisted per department?
@Giri, Thanks for commenting and good to know that IISc have/ had hired at Assoc Prof/ Prof levels. Not in every dept though. Infact one Old IIT rejected some one who ended in not so old IIT (not new though)!
@ Anony. Yes there are faculty members in Europe, Aus, Singapore and USA with a PhD from Indian institutes, or who had faculty positions in Indian institutes.
Dear iitmsriram
Thanks for the pointer. I somehow had missed the link. But clicking on it says-
Database table shortlist has no entries against your username (). This could be because the shortlisting process is not complete yet or database entries are not made fully or your application is not shortlisted for seminar/interview. Please check this page again soon for updates. For further information, please get in touch with the Head(s) of the Department(s) you have applied to.
so it again leaves with 3 possibilities
:)
wondering-if-shortlisted-anon
Dear Dr Sriram, my status says I am short listed :-) But when I click the 'seminar/interview schedule' link it takes me to a page not found site. Plz help,
Dharma
@anon-of-three-possibilities, actually you can figure out which one it is. There is a list of departments for which shortlisting is indicated as complete (shows on landing page), so this will determine if possibility one is operative. Second possibility is only a transient (during the time my office takes to make the entries), possibility three operates if your department is listed in landing page as shortlisting complete. :-(
@Dharma, my office has not yet put up the schedule, will be happening shortly. I take it Dharma is a pseudonym ;-)
Can anyone elaborate on the medical benefits available for the staff & family at IIT/NITs during service and post retirement?
@anon wondering about medical benefits, there is lot of variation and the schemes vary; the only common statement that can probably be made is that yes, there are medical benefits, both outpatient and hospitalisation, for employee + family and for retirees.
I can give some specific information about IITM. IITM has a 20 bed hospital with about 10 staff doctors, 35 visiting consultants (including eye and dental) and about 30 paramedical staff. The hospital has a pharmacy (operated by Apollo) and a diagnostic lab (operated by Lister Metropolis). Employees and eligible dependants (eligibility based on standard government rules) get outpatient, pharmacy and lab services for free (some limitations on eye and dental coverage). For hospitalisation, there is a health insurance scheme that operates at a large number of hospitals (cashless) and also the campus hospital. The basic premium (1 lakh family coverage) is paid for by the Institute, employees can pay and get additional coverage (about 20K for additional 3-4 lakhs coverage). Retirees can choose to claim the government standard FMA (fixed medical allowance) along with pension and if they do so, IITM does not offer any health benefits. Retirees may choose to forego the FMA, in which case retiree + spouse get outpatient consultancy and lab coverage free at the campus hospital and also get enrolled in basic health insurance. Retirees also have option to get additional hospitalisation coverage by paying additional insurance premium.
@iitmSriram
Shortlisting is complete as dispalyed on landing page. In case data is not populated and no message is displayed I hope there is a hope? :)
Or is it that shortlisted people are already sent communication
Of course I can wait instead of bugging you but....
Thanks
anon-of-three-possibilities
Dear anon-of-3-possibilities, if the landing page shows shortlisting completed for your department and you do not get a congratulatory message when you sign in, it is bad news for you. The data population takes 15 minutes max (time for my office to update the database), so the second possibility rarely operates.
Thanks Prof.Sriram for clarifying that there is no possibility!
Harish @ April 18, 2015 at 6:04 AM
Dear Harish,
How many days it took in receiving appointment letter from IIT-Mandi after the interview.
Dear Anon
It took one month to get the offer letter after the interview date in my case.
If you do not have any news for a month after the interview, I suggest you to write to chairman of the department.
Harish
Dear Harish
Thanks for your information.
@iitmsriram Could you let us know typically how many candidates are shortlisted per department?
@ Indian Scientist
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on several aspects of the age issue. Your comment also hints a solution thats somewhat better than the rigid 35 years limit.
i) Counting post-PhD experience of a candidate is a totally different and more rational criteria to determine early career status than bringing the biological age into the question. I think this might be a way to go in India as well and it also brings up another "number fixation"- why "minimum 3 year" post-PhD experience is better for faculty hiring in IIXs than say a candidate who has a quality (1-2 year) postdoctoral record ?
ii) The US also has several flexible mechanisms to deal with early career status: NSF/and many other federal early career development awards are open to tenure-track assistant professors "without" any limit on post-PhD experience.
I think the bottom line here is that its not prudent to equate a career in scientific research with other disciplines in terms of the eligibility criteria.
MS
@ iitmsriram Regarding IITM shortlists, is there a reason why all department do not put up the short lists at the same time? Thanks! Also, could you let me know how many people get shortlisted on an average per department?
anon wonders "is there a reason why all departments do not put up the short lists at the same ". Well, because at IITM, departments don't do the shortlisting, the selection committees do, via tele-meeting. So, these will come progressively, just like the interviews, as the tele-meetings are held department by department. All shortlists are expected to be done in next two weeks.
There is no meaningful average number of candidates shortlisted per department, it is likely to vary between 0 and 15 (assuming we are talking only entry level).
And, 3 years post-PhD experience is a non-issue, it is only a matter of title and pay level. If the candidate has 3 years experience, then the offer is regular assistant professor Rs. 8000 grade. If experience is less, it will accordingly be titled (contractual) and grade 6000 or 7000. Most science departments will not look at candidates without post-doc experience while most engineering departments hire fresh PhDs at 6000 grade. The 8000 grade for "regular" assistant professor is mainly historical but is related to civil services pay.
Dear @iitmsriram
Thanks for your information on medical benefits. I was completely unaware of it.
Post retirement medical benefits should be important in case you survive the job and that is when you need it most.
Surprisingly on googling FMA (fixed medical allowance) is INR 500 per month (for employee + spouse?) looks ridiculous!
In case "Retirees may choose to forego the FMA" do they get hospitalisation anywhere in India or confined only to Chennai?
Since you mentioned that it all varies with NIT & IITS I wonder what are options at other places?
Why don't IITs and NITs attach to a single insurance provider as it will give more bargaining power under large collective numbers?
Thanks
@iitmsriram Thanks for the details on iitm shortlists. Is there an upper limit on the number of finally selected candidates post interview? Also out of curiosity, that the selection committee do the shortlisting via tele-meeting, suggests that there are people outside IITM as part of the selection committee. Is my understanding right? Thanks again!
@anon wondering about medical benefits, FMA was fixed at 300 pm in 2008 and last year, it was increased to 500 pm. If one chooses to buy health insurance, it is enough to buy some basic coverage. Yes, the allowance amount looks silly. And, there will be no leveraging benefit likely from collectivisation. Each (old) IIT has enough employees and retirees to be actually self insured i.e. annual premium approximately equals annual claims. So, the only benefit of going for insurance is to pass off the claims processing paperwork to the insurance company and the insurance administrator (TPA).
@anon wondering about selections, there is no limit on number of candidates that may be selected. Based on past experience, the call to selection ratio is somewhere around 3:1, but with the small number of candidates interviewed, the variation is quite large. For example, two years ago, one department called 3 and selected all 3 while another department called 3 and selected none (and yet another called 6 and selected none). But overall, some 100+ candidates are called for interview and around 30 - 35 are selected.
And, at all IITs, selection committees are required to have at least two external experts, this is in the statutes.
Dear Prof. Sriram: Your comment "....And, 3 years post-PhD experience is a non-issue, it is only a matter of title and pay level. .."
is not really true.
For example, in case, a faculty member wishes to get promoted early due to excellent performance, then he is typically expected to wait 6 yrs post Ph.D. 3 yrs after at Assistant Professor level. Can this 3 yrs be at Assistant Professor (contractual) level ? and why 6 yrs ?
If someone in engineering dept has produced 12 Journals, 6 patents, 3 Book chapters, 16 reputed IEEE conference papers (in total 40 contributions), but he is at his 3 yr of his Asst Prof (contractual), then y cant he apply for early promotion like in US system ?
Dear Prof. Sriram,
The interview schedules are out, and it does not mention the exact time for each candidate. No information about whether its a skype call or in person only.
Thanks
Recently I received an offer for AP position from an IIX. The offer letter says that the joining date has to be within 90 days. But I need to postpone this date due to the responsibilities at my present institute. The HOD on telephone sounded reluctant to extend the deadline. But I heard that in justified cases it is possible to extend the deadline of joining date. Can anyone suggest me about the procedure?
Dear Anon @ above
Congrats and all the best for your job offer in an IIX.
Out of curiosity, I am asking, whether the IIX offered you an AP position is a old or new one. How many days they took to send you offer letter (by email) after the interview. I also attended interview in an IIX 12 days before and haven’t received any news yet and thatswhy, I am asking.
Anon @ above
To hear anything officially within 12 days after the interview seems a bit too early. But you can call up some of the faculty members of the department concerned and they may be able to unofficially tell you the result. All the best.
We also need a trend set in atleast Old IITs/ IISc etc to make competitive offers to deserving candidates. Remember recruiting a brilliant mind will push research of everyone. We do need see that trend here yet. In Europe, US etc., routinely faculty candidates have multiple offers and they chose the best but at the same time institutes fight with each other to get the best.
Anonymous@May 27, 2015 at 4:59 PM: About extension of the joining date. In principle it is possible to extend the date of joining. You need to contact the registrar or the coordinator who deals with the faculty recruitment with a cc to HOD. In my IIX one of our colleague joined after 10 months. They usually allow extension up to 1 year.
@Anon above
Thank you for the information about extension of joining date.
@anons, there is a definite down side to delaying the joining. (Unless you are coming from another government job) the pay is fixed at the time of making the offer and if you delay, the benefit of the experience gained during the delay period is usually lost. If you wait for a year, your pay will be less by one increment and it is not easy to fix this.
Dear Prof. Sriram,
Pls. respond to the query of Anon May 25, 2015 at 8:27 PM
PK
PK, let me try to answer the query of Anon May 25, 2015 at 8:27 PM. Anon writes 'Dear Prof. Sriram: Your comment "....And, 3 years post-PhD experience is a non-issue, it is only a matter of title and pay level. .."'
I think Prof. Sriram might have written this in the context of hiring a faculty candidate and not of subsequent promotion to Associate Professor level.
For early promotion, from what I understand, tenure/promotion committees look for what an assistant professor has published on his own after establishing his group. To a large extent, the referee reports take care of this. Also, assistant professors are expected to have graduated students (at least one PhD, if not more). Typically, one cannot graduate his/her first PhD student in three years from joining a department, unless they inherited a senior student from somebody else's group.
If all of anon's 40 contributions are his/her own independent contributions, and if the anon has graduated PhD students in these three years, then by all means anon can apply for promotion. If I were in the T/P committee looking at anon dossier, I'd most certainly promote him/her.
Vijay.
Dear Vijay,
Thanks for sharing your feedback.
You may find it difficult to believe, but I myself know of a candidate in IIT who has around 40 contributions (with IIT affiliation) after joining as Asst Prof on Contract and has graduated 1 Ph.D student within 3 yrs (who also received an offer from US for post-doc recently). Further, the 2nd Ph.D. student is about to go for open seminar in next 6-8 months.
Also to my knowledge this person runs 1 sponsored project and is about a receive a 2nd sponsored project as well.
Now tell me, does the compulsory 6 yrs post-Ph.D rule make sense for him ? I guess no....its actually meaningless to impose such rules, as in US system, he would have been promoted easily...
THOUGHTFUL INDIAN
6 yrs post-Ph.D rule is strictly followed in IITs for promotion to associate professor. Even if you get a nobel prize in between, that can not be relaxed. IISc does not follow this and they have recruited an associate professor who is 27 years old and was working as assistant professor in MIT for 2 years. Do not tell Smriti Irani, she may remove him from the position.
Does anyone know how and when the recruitment process for the very new IITs is going to start? I am specially interested in knowing more about IIT Goa.
According to the IIT-JEE brochure, they are going to start functioning from the coming semester in July.
Anon May 29, 2015 at 11:39 AM
I take your comment in good humor..If not then it is in bad taste.
This sort of anti-performance culture should be discouraged.
Sharing the Chinese model
http://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2011/04/07/paying-for-impact-does-the-chinese-model-make-sense/
SM
@SM: about the Chinese model
This already happens in the IIMs, at least I know about IIM Bangalore. You get a monetary reward if you publish papers in prestigious venues.
Any comments on expected gross of Assistant Professor in 7th pay commission?
@Prof Sriram and Giri,
Why don't IITs and IISc implement what IIMs are doing -- monetary reward for publication in the topmost journal? It seems very logical that you reward quality, and the only definition of quality is publication in a top journal (or equivalent conference in case of CS).
Is it because:
a) They don't have the legal permission. This seems unlikely, given that IIMs do have it.
b) They don't have the money. If true, it is bizarre. Considering that they are not trying particularly hard to raise money, one would think they are flush with funds. Where do IIMs get their funds from?
c) They don't believe it is needed. If so, why? What is the evidence?
d) They don't believe it is the right policy. If so, why? What is the evidence?
e) They don't have the will or courage. If so, why?
f) They want to do it, but have never got to doing it. Again, bizarre. Faculty in IITs perpetually discuss trivialities like UGs not going into core engineering areas or engage in silly coffee table conversations like how Sanskrit has greater influence on Bengali than on Marathi -- activities that require neither brains nor hard work. Plus they don't publish much. All this shows they have all the time in the world.
g) They are not interested. The average IIT faculty is disingenuous about wanting to excel at research.
f) Something else.
anon states "6 yrs post-Ph.D rule is strictly followed in IITs for promotion to associate professor." Sort-of. There is a process available to relax this requirement; the selection committee should be favourably impressed and recommend promotion. Then, the Board of Governors (which approves the offer) should also recommend. The papers then go to MHRD for a waiver. I don't believe IITM has done any, but IISc and some other IITs have used this process for accelerated promotions for some exceptional candidates and MHRD has given the waiver. But this will truly be an exception. The more common issue is that the candidates perception of exceptional and the selection committees' are at variance.
Anyone has experience in DST inspire interview, please give me your feedback about the presentation. I got selected for DST Inspire faculty interview and preparing my presentation.
@Anon for DST Inspire Interview
Reposting an experience shared earlier: "July 23, 2012 at 11:26 PM"
---Just wanted to let people know that I had my INSPIRE interview today early morning and my experience.
I had prepared 10 slides and was planning to talk about doctoral, postdoctoral and future work. But I think the interviewer was satisfied with seeing only my doctoral work and wanted to see future work. But the future work also depended on my postdoctoral work, so I asked for a few minutes to present that. After that the interviewer seemed content and wanted to end the interview. It seemed like they were a bit pressed for time.
What I liked above anything else was the conduct of the interviewer. He was inquisitive, scholarly and polite. It seemed like he was keen to understand with clarity whatever I have done. There definitely were no value-laden remarks (like the 18 paper anon received). Even when I was asked to explain applications of my work (which is always a problem for a theoretician :P), it seemed he was genuinely interested knowing them, rather than in picking low-hanging fruits to dismiss my work.
I was also very satisfied with the way the INSA staff has organised this whole thing - they were very courteous, sent out timely reminders/confirmations, and were clear in their communication. I even received a call on my phone before the interview asking me to be ready. Only thing was that they started earlier than they promised (they were going to start at 6.30am my time, but when they called me, they wanted to start at 6.10am); so I had to scamper to office. Those who have their interview in the future should anticipate this and prepare accordingly.---
BTW when did you receive the mail from DST inviting for a presentation? I have applied in Bio Med Sci and anticipate to be shortlisted.
Thanks
Reposting-
Any comments on expected gross of Assistant Professor in 7th pay commission?
@Prof Sriram,Reg: IITM faculty recruitment 2015
Is shortlisting complete for all departments?.Only few departments are appearing on the recruitment web portal.Kindly give more info.
Very sad to see all the bad press/media coverage IIT Madras is receiving. A reputed institution like IITM doesnt deserve this. Faculty recruitment interviews are suppose to start in few days, and i hope all goes well as planned without any postponements due to this situation :-(
The resuls of UGC-Faculty Recharge program are announced recently. 102 candidated selected:
http://www.ugcfrp.ac.in/index.asp?links=ugc1
http://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/6504709_PressRelease.pdf
Can anyone update about fund sanctions for INSPIRE Faculty from 2014 Session II (Feb 2015 result) ?
I have joined an institute as INSPIRE Faculty and furnished all the documents more than a month ago (before the 3 months deadline from the offer). However, I am yet to receive the fund sanction letter from the DST.
Has anyone from the Feb 2015 batch got the funding ? Any enquiry on the help line returns with a reply saying your request is 'under processing'.
Thanks.
Whether anybody received offer letter from IIT-Mandi recently?. Its almost 20 days now after the interview. Should I assume that my candidature is not considered for selection since 20 days already over.
Regarding DST INSPIRE Funding, they have exhausted the funds for current financial year so it might take atleast 1 or 2 months for next updates.
I am new to this forum. First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Prof. Giri and Prof. Sriram (IIT Madras) for their valuable services. I have a query, which I am posting here. I am working as a faculty in a foreign country for the past 5 years. I would like to return India and hence, searching for suitable position in IIT/NITs (I never tried IISC). But I have an issue. I have two master's degree (one in science and another in technology) prior to my Ph. D degree. But problem is that in one degree, I got second class (grade wise in master in technology percentage wise-more than 60 %) though first class in all other preceding degrees. Will it create an issue, if I apply to the science department in a particular institute. How can it be resolved?. I would request your valuable guidance from eminent professors on this matter.
Thank you Anonymous (June 5, 2015 at 3:07 PM) for commenting on DST INSPIRE funding. I wish there was more time given for joining in this case that no funds were available for the newly joined.
Thanks also to those running and contributing to this useful blog.
So according to the Times Higher Education's new ranking released for 2015, IISc and Panjab University (PU) are the best Indian institutions in Asia. IISc is ranked 37 and PU is ranked 38.
https://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2014-15/regional-ranking/region/asia
Jobseekers here, stop wasting time with IITs; go to Punjab!!
(For the dumb-heads who do not get sarcasm -- and I know there are many of you here, this comment is not meant for you)
Ranking is subjective but it is a surprise that Punjab Univ. always rank on the top in India. This could be due to their alumni but closer look shows citation score is very high. I had an impression that JNU and DU will be on par! IISc/IITs should be looking to compete with CALTECH not PU! ;)
Dear iitmsriram, I am planning to visit iitm for in-person interview from abroad. On the call letter it says '25000 max will be reimbursed provided i land directly in chennai'. In this regard, can i book two tickets, one international ticket from country-of-residence to Delhi/Mumbai, and the second continuing ticket to chennai. I am trying to do this because it is somewhat cheaper to fly to Delhi/Mumbai and then take a budget airlines to chennai. The intention is not to make a stopover, but to split it into two cheaper tickets :)
Thanks
@coming-for-interview-from-overseas anon, landing in Chennai via Delhi / Mumbai is not an issue. However, if you spend a few days at Delhi / Mumbai both ways, this may become a problem. If you have only a lay over to change planes in Delhi / Mumbai, it will be ignored.
Indian scientist - See this:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.c...
Panjab university's research rating got skewed because of a single paper which arose from the Higgs Boson paper, in which numerous countries collaborated. Its a classic case of the mean being skewed by outliers. I am not trying to devalue the efforts made by PU in the CERN project - they deserve kudos for that. All I am saying is that sometimes statistics does not present the full picture.
The link did not appear correctly in my last comment- here it is:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/CERN-pushed-Panjab-University-to-numero-uno/articleshow/36978185.cms
@himanshu, it is not because of a single paper, the Times article (as usual) over-simplifies. See the recent article in Nature (http://www.nature.com/news/india-by-the-numbers-1.17519) where PU is similarly placed as the top Institution in India. I have a comment online pointing out what is the problem and the author concedes that I am right. It is not a single paper, but a number of papers from the large collaboration groups like the ATLAS consortium, these generate high citation counts. If one uses citations per paper or fraction of papers published which have high citation count as the ranking metric, this will push Institutions that otherwise are not very actively publishing into the top. The effect on otherwise actively publishing Institutions will not be as much.
Now, all we need is for one of our private deemed Universities to figure this out; they publish very little otherwise, so, on a metric like this, they will become No. 1 in the world by a significant margin.
Himanshu and Prof. Sriram, Very interesting and should be an eye opener for anyone and everyone who use one or more metrics to justify that they are the best. Went through Prof. Sriram's comment in nature and I was wondering what will happen if all the collab papers of IISc/TIFR/IITs are not used for calculations too. Hope we do not end up at the bottom.
Actually some of the Indian universities and institutes are well-recognized due to their continuous supply of good students/ postdocs to the west. To name a few, Ann, MKU, MS Baroda, Jadavpur, JNU, Delhi Univ, Madras, Calcutta, and Punjab.. amongst institutes IITs, IISc, BITS, Manipal, Raman, Bose, and so on. I am sure this positive outlook has nothing to do with research output but just a supply chain.
In research terms, very few institutes will ring a bell amongst majority of HHMI, FRS, FNAS or other leading scientists. We need to work hard, harder and hardest.... or else we will leave a bad legacy.
@IndianScientist, not clear what you mean by "all the collab papers of IISc/TIFR/IITs". If I collaborate with a colleague in IISc and write a paper, is that under this description? My comment (should be clear if you read through) applies only to mega-author groups (though not stated anywhere, I used a definition of more than 100 authors; Bibliometrics community often recommends 50 as the threshold). The ATLAS collaboration, for example, has over 3000 authors and publishes hundreds of papers a year. And, I have noted in my comments at the Nature site what happens to TIFR, IITB and IITG, all active participants of ATLAS and a few more such collaborations. IITM, IISc, IITKGP are not active participants (this may change) and hence there is no noticeable effect due to the mega-author groupings.
http://rankingwatch.blogspot.in/2015/06/what-indian-physicists-do.html
the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings favour those powered by hadron driven citations and with the good fortune to be located in countries where most universities produce few citations.
http://rankingwatch.blogspot.in/2014/06/it-was-god-particle.html
if TR, THE's data collectors, do what they have done for the Highly Cited researchers database and stop counting physics publications with more than 30 affiliations, then PU will almost certainly fall out of the rankings altogether.
Or publications with more than 100 authors.
If IITians are so intelligent and can earn lakhs in their placements, why do they sponge off taxpayers' money?
http://scroll.in/article/715918/dear-smriti-irani-stop-giving-my-money-to-iitians?ref=yfp
Anonymous at June 16, 2015 at 9:14 AM.
This is a very narrow-minded article with twisted interpretation of facts.
I need not counter the arguments there as they have been already countered by several people.
https://www.saddahaq.com/human-interest/iitsubsidy/in-response-to-dear-smriti-irani-stop-giving-my-money-to-iitians
http://scroll.in/article/716595/no-smriti-irani-is-not-wasting-your-money-on-the-iitians
http://storygag.com/2015/03/reply-to-the-open-letter-dear-smriti-irani-stop-giving-my-money-to-iitians-published-on-scroll/
Sriram sir... I did read your comment on Nature and I was wondering about papers published with Indian and Non-Indian authors (not if you publish with some one from PU). Bottom line we are arguing if PU deserves 501 or IISc/JNU/DU should be at 501 rank. I believe IISc/IITs/TIFR/RRI/JNU/DU/IISER should put in all the efforts to be in the top 10 in Asia atleast. Once they achieve this, they will automatically jump into top 500 of the world.
Hello
I have joined NIT and got a call for interview from other NIT/IIT which I had applied before joining NIT.
Question is can I appear for the interview or I need to take no objection from the institute.
Thanks
Dear @joined-NIT-anon, most institutions don't bother with NOC anymore. However, some do and your present NIT may even refuse to relieve you if you did not take NOC etc. At the time of joining your present NIT, you would filled some standard forms and one of the forms has a question about any pending applications. You should have put down the NIT/IIT in this form - in which case, you are entitled to an NOC from your present NIT as a matter of right and with no limitations - you can go and demand an NOC and they have to give you one. If you did not put down, if you request for an NOC now (if your interviewing NIT/IIT is asking for it), your current NIT may refuse to issue it and squeeze you; government guidelines stipulate that generally NOC should be given but you may still get squeezed. It all depends on the interviewing IIT / NIT and your current NIT as to how they want to go about it.
Prof. iitmsriram thank you very much for the guidance.
@Prof Sriram
Is the age limit of 35 years for Assistant Professor at IIT applicable to
people already in service at NIT/IIT or other centrally funded technical institutes
(like IISER, IIITDM etc)?
Thanks
Prof Sriram and Prof Giridhar, I have a trivial question on faculty interviews. What is the preferred dress code for candidates appearing for interviews. Suit/tie, plain formals or business casuals?
Thanks
@wondering-about-dress-code-anon, suit and tie not required at all. Formals or business casuals will work fine. Of course, this is for IITM. In winter in Delhi, for example, there may be an expectation to be a bit more formal but still I don't believe anyone expects suit and tie (though you may find several selection committee members in formal attire). If you feel more confident in a suit, go ahead.
ps: I stopped wearing shoes and formal shirts years ago (of course, this was after I became Prof). I wear half sleeve cotton kurtas and slippers; so some may feel that my advice is not to be taken!
Thumb rule for dress code
If you DO NOT TO OFFEND any 'ODD' one. Most of the faculty members are not looking at your dress but believe me, I have heard comments like what was he thinking of when he presented in a T shirt!
1. Wear a jacket and a shirt with 'formal' shoes.
2. Tie is never an issue in Indian or Western institutes.
3. If Dean/ Chair is taking you for a dinner, wear formals. Yes including ties to give a serious impression.
4. If you are giving a presentation/ job interview in a clinical department, formals including tie is a minimum requirement.
Believe most of our institutes have no strict dress code and senior faculty like Prof. Sriram wear casual Indian attire.
Good luck
Is the age limit of 35 years for Assistant Professor at IIT applicable to
people already in service at NIT/IIT or other centrally funded technical institutes
(like IISER, IIITDM etc)?
Thanks
I just gave interview for inspire faculty fellowship last week. I know that the results are posted in the website of inspire around july end. However, I would like to know if there will be any intimation to the selected or non selected interviewed candidates by email before they put up on website.
@anion at June 27, 2015 at 12:25 PM
Could you please share your experience (INSPIRE interview & presentation)? What were the questions like (on PhD topic? On proposed project? Technical questions ? Or just nit-pickings in ppt slides?)
How much time did it take?
@anion
I gave interview through skype. presentation was for 15 min and limited to 15 slides. All the questions were technical. They were more interested in the proposed project than Phd work. The whole interaction took 25 min.
DST- INSPIRE faculty award interview- Experience
Invitation Letter mentioned: 15 minute presentation + interviews; ppt should highlight the PhD work and novelty of project proposal.
Well-wishers suggested: Interview panel will be 5-6 prof with varied expertise. One must give the generic overview of project proposal. Don't dwell too much on technical details (it will be discouraged by the panel and they will ask only basic questions-- motivation, main 'problem' that you want to solve!
Turned out: total time is < 10 min. PhD work.. "skip it";
they don't want to have anything to do with it ("just tell us the title of your thesis").. blah blah blah
"Show us the project slides"..
after 90 second;
"this is all very basic things; what EXACTLY do you want to do... "
but but I have written all that in application form.. in detail.. down to the exact system I would try to tackle, methodology, sop, timeline, deliverables...
"you should show it in ppt also, no?" sorry, I was ill-informed, mal-assumed and mis-prepared. "hmmm..." "okay, thank you. You may go now"
Experience: INSPIRE faculty award is supposed to be the one of the most prestigious awards for young researchers in India. 9-10 minutes interaction with each candidate- time in which they judge presentation (PhD work + 3 years postdoc work + project proposal + intermittent questions) and even find time to munch kurkure & jovial banter among themselves- is farcical.
I would have understood if I was the only one who was given lesser time but almost everyone on that day (afternoon) was in & out of the conference room in 10-12 minutes!!
Some people have written in this blog that they had wonderful experience during inspire interviews; I wish I could say the same thing. Not sure how much weightage this presentation carry in final selection but this is no way to conduct 'interviews' for (apparently) faculty hiring! Irrespective of whom they eventually select, such selections would be bogus draws.
P.S. 16 +17 hours of flight was such a waste. To future applicants-
a) Lower your expectations of decent behavior from panel
b) If abroad, try skype interviews ('will visit family anyway' is a lame excuse)
c) You can't stun them with you brilliant CV; instead dazzle them with Proposal bullshit. I suspect using fancy, rarely-used-in-spoken-English-Technical-words would impress them... use in copious amount!
Sorry for reposting-
Can anyone comment is the age limit of 35 years for Assistant Professor at IIT applicable to people already in service at NIT/IIT or other centrally funded technical institutes (like IISER, IIITDM etc)?
Hello,
I got an interview call for contractual/deputation faculty position in Physics at IISER-Tirupati which will be held in IISER-Pune, which is a mentor institute for IISER-Tirupati. If selected, I have to join by August 1st week! On the other hand, I have invitation to perceive research in Israel for an year, which I can start in September 2015. Can I choose the contract job over the research experience in abroad? Please note that, I have spent 4 years of post-doc in India, which includes 2 years as INSPIRE Faculty.
What is the prospective of turning the contractual faculty potion to regular in the upcoming institutions like IISER-Tirupati?
Thank you very much, in advance, for advices :)
Anon at July 6, 2015 at 6:23 PM
If you're not nearing the 35 year age limit (and hence problems with recruitment in future), it can be a very useful to gain exposure from outside the Indian academic system. Since you already have 4 years of postdoc experience, this additional 1 year may not teach you much about Science, but it can really help you in broadening your outlook and developing your personality.
-- opinion of a new prof.
Does anyone know about faculty recruitment @ IIT Gandhinagar?
I am interested to apply there.
Are there any issues like IIT Jodhpur because I see that in some engineering departments there are 8-10 faculty with half of them visiting.
Or anything else?
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/IIT-M-recruitment-case-not-heard-for-long-in-Madras-HC/articleshow/48042634.cms
Anon@9July
In IIT Gandhinagar, the major drawback is that you don't get a permanent position. They take you on contract after internal review process which is also not quite fair. Within 2 years of joining, you have to go through the selection committee. If you don't go through it because of any reason then have to look for new job at that point of time.
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