Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Pinned post for prospective faculty to IITs/IISc

This is a pinned post for prospective faculty to IITs/IISc. Please, please read this site and the old posts, herehere, herehere,  here and here, here also. There are over 5000 comments and replies to these comments in these posts. 

3,339 comments:

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Anonymous said...

@RF transfer
"normally allow the transfer" in my pervious comment is corrected as "may allow transfer" :)

I know somebody who transferred the fellowship. Initially he was told its not possible. But he could successfully transfer to another institute later.

I will ask him and let you know the exact procedure and paper work. Minimum you need letters from both Institutional heads expressing their consent for the transfer and a transfer request letter. Please drop an e-mail at mabyandtintu@gmaildotcom

Anonymous said...

Dear Prof. Giridhar,

can foreign nationals with OCI work as a faculty in IITs on a long-term basis? What is the IIT's policy on hiring OCIs?

Anonymous said...

Dear Profs. at IISc,


Does anybody know when was the IISc council meeting for June 2013 Scheduled.


Thanks

Anonymous said...

Council meeting was held last friday.

Anonymous said...

Dear prof. Giridhar,
I think the question posted by anon June 29, 2013 at 10:05 PM is very crucial for many people.

Please throw some light whether permanent employment is allowed in IIT`s for someone holding OCI card

Anonymous said...

Does anyone has any information of results of DST inspire faculty awards 2013 (session I) ?

Anonymous said...

The rules for OCI holders have already been discussed before..no need to repeat the same rules again and again.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

IT MAY BE OLD FOR some people...BUT NOT OLD FOR MANY NEW BLOGGERS....is there a harm to re-discuss something that can benefit so many people ??????????????

I shall be glad if someone who is aware of the rule can throw some light on it.

Thanks !!

Giri@iisc said...

For OCI rules, read

http://giridharmadras.blogspot.com/2012/06/pinned-post-for-prospective-faculty-to.html

comments dated 14 july 2012.

IITM has 5 foreign citizens as regular (not visiting) faculty, 3 OCI card holders who have permanent appointments and the remaining 2 non OCI card holders who are on five year contracts.

Anonymous said...

Dear INSPIRE Faculty/Ramanujan/Ramalingaswami Fellows,

Can we change host institute after one year of joining the programme and will the sponsoring department (DST or DBT) permit this?

Thanks

Anonymous said...

Anyone got any news about result of INSPIRE 2013 (session-I) ?

Thanking in advance.

Anonymous said...

@ INSPIRE Results
According to INSA office, inspire results for Session I 2013 have been sent to DST for publishing on DST web.

Anonymous said...

INSPIRE Results declared on

http://www.inspire-dst.gov.in/July2013_session_I.pdf

All the best for selected aspirants

Anonymous said...

anyone has update on Indpire results??

Anonymous said...

Does anybody got call for UGC-FRP interview in Aug 2013.
Also will like to hear from previous applicants about how to prepare for interview.
Thanks

Anonymous said...

Dear Prof. Madras and all,
I had two queries:
1. Do IISc or IIT-x hire faculty at full professor level? Especially if the candidate is already in a tenured position in US?

2. How essential is it for the applicant to have degree at Btech, Mtech level in the engineering branch corresponding to the Dept. that one applies? For example, can one having Degrees in Civil apply to Mehcanical Engg. Dept. Iam thinking of this as my degrees are in different Engineering discipline
that the department I intend to apply to, although my research is focused on the Dept. I am looking at.
Thank you all for your help and suggestions in advance.
Regards

Anonymous said...

To anon @August 3, 2013 at 3:14 AM

1. I know at least one instance where IISc hired someone at the full professor level directly from the US. The professor left after a year or two, though. I work in an old IIT. Direct appointments even in the associate pprofessor level is extremely rare here.

2. The IITs, certainly the older ones, place a lot of importance on UG teaching. In my experience, all the traditional engineering departments have only hired those who have their B.Tech./M.Tech. etc. in the same discipline. Aero hires aero, chem. engg. hires chem. engg., EE hires EE, etc. The thinking behind this goes like: if you are hired, you will have to teach UG courses in that department and if you haven't done those courses yourself, you may have difficulty in teaching them. I haven't seen people from other backgrounds in the largest "traditional" departments in my IIT. On the other hand, the interdisciplinary centres and departments in my IIT are very proactive in hiring people from different backgrounds as long as the background matches with the broad mandate of the department. To the best of my knowledege these centres do not have B. Tech. programmes yet- they run M.Sc/M. Tech./PhD programmes.

-DD

Anonymous said...

Hello everyone,
Does any one got call for interview for UGC-FRP in chemistry recently.
Also can anyone please shed some light on their past interviews on UGC-FRP. What kind of preperation one should do??
Thanks a lot
-ASD

Anonymous said...

To the anon@above

Did you receive interview call from UGC-FRP?.

I saw the UGC-FRP link is not working.

Anonymous said...

Hi,
Yes I got call letter for interview. And website is down from quite some time now.
Best
-ASD

Anonymous said...

Hi ASD

Thanks for your reply. May I know when did you receive it?. I heard the presentation is for 10 min followed by interview.

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I received it in first week of last month.
But it doesnt mentions anything about presentation.
-ASD

Anonymous said...

Congrats...Probably they changed the procedure. I heard last time, there was presentation followed by interview.

May I ask one more question?. When did you apply?

Anonymous said...

Maybe hope someone who attended interview last time can tell about experiences.
I had applied in Sep 2011. When did u applied??
-ASD

Anonymous said...

Sorry, i applied in sep 2012 (not 2011)
-ASD

Anonymous said...

I also applied on Sep. 2011. probably my candidature is not shortlisted.


When is the interview?.

Good luck for your Interview.


Anonymous said...

interview is in third week of this month.

Anonymous said...

...
@ UGC-FRP interview in chemistry
-ASD

Last time there was no presentation. But definitely there will be 30 minutes face-to-face interview in which they ask several questions. Mostly based on your field. Last time they had experts from four branches of chemistry- Theoretical, Physical , organic and inorganic chemistry- plus Prof. Gandhi in the panel. I think the panel will be same this year also. In that case you can expect former IACS director (physical chemistry), a Professor from IIT kanpur who moved form Pune University (Theoretical Chemistry), DST-SERB chairman (inorganic chemistry) and CBMR director (organic chemistry) in the board. Good luck and be wise not to argue with the board as any of them can de-rail your application.

Anonymous said...

@anon above thanks a lot for the detailed information. Can you please specify what kind of questions they ask or what should one prepare. I am already nervous.
Many thanks
-ASD

Anonymous said...

I have one question regarding UGC-FRP interview. Whether interview for Assistant and Associate Professor takes place in the same schedule?. I heard few peoples received interview letter in chemistry discipline.

Anonymous said...

Any updated information on Ramanujan fellowship selection.

Anonymous said...

@Ramanujan Fellowship

Which year selection you mean? 2013 May, there was a selection committee meeting and they have already sent out offer letters. If you applied after 2013 March or so, most probably (if it follows last two years frequency) the next selection meeting will be in May 2014.

Anonymous said...

@ UGC-FRP
During the first set of interview they called asst, associate and professors in the same dates.

Regarding specific questions, I think it will be based on your filed of research (for example, a friend of mine was asked about photochromism, solvatochromism etc as he was working in organic Photochemistry area). Its a good idea to read basics in your field of research. I have seen may asked about basics in their pH D & postdoctoral research. They go through your resume and publications and ask some questions based on that.

The follow up of the 'UGC-FRP offers' is very poor and I heard even for the first batch, most of them are still waiting for an appointment. A badly designed program I think ! UGC should take more interest in implementing it in every university ! They should support the selected candidates to work in university of his/her choice. Then this will be a very good program to boost research in University Departments.

Anonymous said...

@UGC-FRP

Forgot to mention ! Don't get tensed. Be cool... All the best.

Anonymous said...

Thanks anon above for the wishes and information....
-ASD

Anonymous said...

Hello Everybody,

I recently got selected for DST Inspire faculty fellowship, but I have some concerns about it.
Does institutes have good reputation for Inspire in general or not?
Do the inspire fellows have enough freedom and treated like a faculty?
What is the possibility of getting absorbed in the host institute after five years of fellowship?
Is is worth to settle for Inspire leaving a successful postdoc in US?

Anonymous said...

To Anon above-
I am pretty much sure that you will regret your decision to return back to India especially with Inspire fellowship.
Inspire candidates are treated like senior post-doc and will never get a status equivalent to a faculty (say Assist. Prof).
The better option would be to find directly a Assit. Prof position or more creamy Ramanujan fellowship.

All the Best!!

Anonymous said...

Its true that INSPIRE Faculty are not treated like "Faculty".
I am also returned from US, and joined as INSPIRE Faculty in one of the National Laboratory. Problem is DST does not have very clean and clear instructions to institutes/universities. Most of the senior scientists/directors don't know whether such scheme exists as INSPIRE Faculty. So my status is like independent post-doc. Things may be different in developed institutions like IISERS/IITS/IISc. But may be challenging to be INSPIRE Faculty in developing institutions like CSIR/DBT/DST/ICMR/ICAR/UGC universities and laboratories!

Anonymous said...

Thanks above two annon for comments!

Copuple of more concerns in continuum....
Even as an independent postdoc does an Inspire fellow has enough freedom to do research without much interference from Professors/Head?
What is the possibility to get absorbed in host institutes after five years?
Whether IITs/IISERs are interested in having Inspire fellows or they do not care for Inspire fellows?

Anonymous said...

I am second Anon (August 9, 2013 at 12:14 PM)
I am very happy about freedom though I am "independent post-doc", I can write grants and have research staff

not sure about position after five years!!!

i dont know about things in IITs/IISERs

Anonymous said...

@UGC-FRP

Any idea when is the next set of interviews for Chemistry?

Anonymous said...

Dear Prof. Giri and experienced faculties,

My DST fast track got approved and reached my IIX 4 months back. But due to some reason it got misplaced between our two campuses and finally I got it in my hand just a couple of days back.

The deadline for submitting the requested docs has gone by (since a window of 1 month was given by DST). Yet, I immediately submitted my docs through email and forwarded the hard copies through IIX to them for final sanctioning. I am very upset and worried.

Please advise.

Thanks

Anonymous said...

@DST-FAST Track

Its unfortunate that your offer letter got misplaced. Normally they send the letter by e-mail also (at least in Chemistry they do). My suggestion is to contact your DST correspondence person and explain the situation. If he send you a negative reply, request him to reconsider your case in the next fast-track committee and follow it up. All the best.

Anonymous said...

I thank Prof. Giridhar and all the other contributors to this forum. I have gone through most of the posts here and the archives and have learned a lot about career as a professor at IITs/IISc. One would think there must be no question that remains unanswered by now, yet I find my situation warranting some advice from your collective wisdom. Due to pending decisions and sensitivity of some information, I am choosing to remain anonymous and avoid specifics for now, and I apologize for that.

After 15 years away from India, I recently relocated from abroad to work for a GOI R&D centre in Bangalore. At the time of resigning I was well placed in my previous university with an offer (informal and unofficial) to return if I wished to. As we are from the south, we chose Bangalore, to be closer to parents and the extended family. But things have turned topsy-turvey in the 3 months we have been here. The job has been a big disappointment, massive urbanization in Bangalore has rendered commute and daily living a huge challenge, and the children’s schooling far from satisfactory. Additionally we have been falling sick cyclically putting enormous strain on the family. I daresay I am beginning to regret the decision.

Continuing with the current employer and in Bangalore has become untenable and I am wondering if I should consider returning. Fortunately I had applied for a faculty position at IITB when I had applied for the Bangalore job. The process took some time and finally the offer for Associate Professor is here. While at any other time I would have been very excited about the offer, after my job and our Bangalore living experience; another new city, another Govt institution, another relocation, new school for my kids etc., is making me very nervous and apprehensive.

Can you advice me on how to think now about my options? Some people I talked to tell me IITB would be a far better employer in all respects. Campus living (if I can get housing soon enough) they say, would be less stressful than living in the city. Can any of you share your job/living experience at IITB? What is the housing and campus community like? How about schooling for kids? Besides KV, are there other school choices near the campus (and your experience if any with them)? What other factors that I should consider?

Thanks!
NewP

Anonymous said...

August 16, 2013 at 8:48 AM ,

Thanks for the advise. I appreciate it. When you say "next fast-track committee", do you mean my approved DST fast track proposal will undergo once more review ?? Or do you mean that the release of funds will be after next committee meeting (but it remains approved) ??

Please suggest.

Anonymous said...

Yesterday, I attended interview in IIT-Indore. Normally, how many days they will take to intimate the results, if selected.

Anonymous said...

@ anon August 20, 2013 at 1:38 PM above

Can you please tell me
IIT-INDORE for which stream, if science which department? and for which post

thanks

Anonymous said...

@ anon August 20, 2013 at 1:38 PM above

Can you please tell me
IIT-INDORE for which stream, if science which department? and for which post

thanks

Ankur Kulkarni said...

NewP,

I have been a faculty member at IITB for about 8 months now. The place is generally quite dynamic and benevolent.

Students will make your life worthwhile -- it is fun to teach them and talk to them about problems.

Admin: You meet trolls every now and then at the lowest levels of administration who can ruin your day by being jerks, but that apart there is very little else that will bother you. Of course IITB being a govt institution has many inane GoI rules, but thanks to many processes becoming online, one can negotiate through them quite peacefully. In steady state, I think one should be able to give about 80% of one's time and energy to research and teaching.

Housing: Of course a major open problem here is that of campus housing -- which is currently under major overhaul and renovation and consequently in shortage. But things are moving now. Once you are on campus, you escape the real world and the dirty and noisy city outside. Quality of life on campus (not standard of living) is comparable to what I had in the US before I returned.

Schools, options for kids etc I don't know about.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Ankur for the informative fist hand account of work & life at IITB. I gathered as much about working at IITB while talking to some faculty members. They invariably mentioned working with bright students & colleagues, and having a fair amount of academic freedom as big incentives. I am happy to hear about the high quality of life on campus.

Thanks again!
NewP

Anonymous said...

with reference to the reply posted by Anon on August 16, 2013 at 8:48 AM to my question, Would some please throw some light on the following matter:

"When you say "next fast-track committee", do you mean my approved DST fast track proposal will undergo once more review ?? Or do you mean that the release of funds will be after next committee meeting (but it remains approved) ??"

Thank you.

Please suggest.

Anonymous said...

"When you say "next fast-track committee", do you mean my approved DST fast track proposal will undergo once more review ?? Or do you mean that the release of funds will be after next committee meeting (but it remains approved) ??"

Under which subject your application is considered?

To answer your questions, truth is I don't know how they are going to handle it. For sure it won't go for another set of review. But the file may be presented again in front of the committee and get it approved. Try to call the concerned DST person and get it resolved.

Ankur Kulkarni said...

How does one submit proposals to DST Fast Track? Is there a website with the relevant information?

Anonymous said...

Anon@August 21, 2013 at 3:33 PM

I attended for Associate Professor in Science department

Anonymous said...

@Ankur
refer this link of SERB, Fast-track scheme is currently known as "Grant for Young Investigator"

http://www.serb.gov.in/home.php

Yogesh

SM said...

Some recent developments at IIT KGP that I would like to share. I am an AP in IIT KGP since one year.

With the new director taking over, several new announcements are going to be made (as revealed in a recent meeting of all faculty members). Some key points relevant to the current thread:

1. Seed money for new Asst Profs are going to become 25 lakh as equipment grant and 3 lakh for travel and contingency.

2. 20 equipment grants of 25 lakh each for faculty members (Assistant Prof) who have joined after Jan 2012. These 20 grants are competitive, where 20 best projects will be granted.

3. 20 more equipment grants of 25 lakh each for all Assistant and Associate Professors (once again, these are competitive grants).

4. 5 grants of 2.5 crore each for collaborative research among faculty members of the Institute. No limit on number of faculty members.

5. 5 grants of 2.5 crore each for departments. Here departments will have a common project and will compete with each other.

6. Regular faculty interviews. Proposal is to have interviews once in two weeks round the year. Since there are about 30 departments, maybe it amounts to once a year for each department.

7. Flexible rules for HAG professorship to bing a balance between faculty members from different streams (science, engineering, humanities, law, etc.)

8. Institute will foot the bill to present papers in top rated conferences (a list will be prepared). This is besides the CPDA tavel grant.

Anonymous said...

@NewP
August 16, 2013 at 10:01 AM


Gandalf to Frodo: Flee o fools

Prasad said...

Dear Professor Giri,

First of all I'd like to thank you for putting up such detailed information online for new faculty members. This is very useful for us. I have a few questions and though this is an older blog, I am hoping that even in 2013-14 I will have someone responding to my queries.

I am considering joining IISc as Asst. Prof. in next 3 to 6 months, I have gone through your blog and all the comments therein and I would really appreciate your response on following:

1) HOUSING:

Can you please shed some light on the current faculty housing situation? In 2013-2014 is there availability in the on-campus housing? Is there a specific website where I can get a current info/waitlist about the housing availability? I would prefer on-campus housing over renting an apartment outside.

Can I expect a E-type apartment or would I necessarily get a C-type or D-type housing?

Some comments in your blog mention that the condition of the on-campus houses(especially kitchen and the bathrooms) is very poor. I am very concerned about this. IISc is atleast 100 years old so should I expect leaking sewage outside the building, dripping sewage pipes and leaking kitchen and bathrooms ?

Specifically, since, in your response to one of those comments it was said that housing situation will change for better for the faculty joining in 2014. Can you provide some update on that?

Could you please also give some idea on condition of off-campus housing ? A very serious concern for me is to end up in a house with maintenance issues (leaking,dripping, very old and/or in a area with no proper sewage/garbage disposal etc.

2) SCHOOL: You mention that there is a KV school on/near campus. Is there any understanding with the school for admission of the children of the faculty members (this since I will be moving mid-term and would like to know if that will be a problem for my child's school admission. I have a six year old and she will be joining 1st/2nd class. I would also appreciate any input/opinion about schools nearby, from you or any faculty members with young children.

3) FAMILY: Are the on-campus facilities like the gymkhana, swimming pool,library etc available to the spouse/children of the faculty members. Can they take part in the cultural activities and things like swimming lessons etc.

thanks and sorry for the long message
Prasad

prasad said...

I am a prospective IISc faculty and I wrote a long question for Prof. Madras but some how its not showing up in this blog comment list even after 24 hours. Am I doing something wrong..? are the comments first approved by some moderator ?

Anonymous said...

@Prasad...

Your comments are visible...

Prasad said...

Hello
I am trying to post on this blog with my questions but my posts are not showing up on the main page. Can someone please let me know what is wrong ?

thanks
Prasad

Prasad said...

@Anon Thanks !
Ok so this is strange.. i am pretty sure I am doing something stupid.
I dont see my messages at at the pinned blog site:
http://giridharmadras.blogspot.nl/2012/06/pinned-post-for-prospective-faculty-to.html

As I scroll down to the newest post I see only the post by Anon (July 7, 2012 at 1:27 AM)

I dont see mine. Only when I click on "post a comment" I see all the posts of 2013 ! I tried this from multiple computers.

Someone letting me know where I am doing anything wrong would be helpful.

On the same account someone answering my questions will be gratefully appreciated. You guys are doing a great job helping new/prospective faculty.

thanks again
Prasad




Anonymous said...

your posts are fine. choose the newest at the top, your message is 1464. it displays in bunches of 200.

No one seems to have replied to your comment. Giri is extremely busy and may not have time. I suggest you contact some young faculty who maintains the website (not the blog).

Prasad said...

Great ! I dont know why I could not see it earlier, I see it now !

I am hoping any current faculty of IISc will find time to answer these queries.

I appreciate the helpful work being done here.
Prasad

Anonymous said...

I came across a very interesting article. Can someone please comment if the following rule about using email applies to IIT and IISc also:

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-09-05/news/41802425_1_e-mail-policy-usage-policy-government-staff

What I am unsure is are IIT is using NIC (govt infrastructure), as this only applies for govt employees who use NIC facility.

Please share your thoughts. Thanks

Anonymous said...

Hello Sir,

Any idea about the results of UGC-FRP (Faculty Recharge Programme)batch-III. The interviews was conducted on 17th August 2013. When I should expect the results?

With regards,
Hemant
==============

Arnab Kar said...

I was planning to apply for the INSPIRE Faculty Scheme. I was wondering if I need to have completed phd before applying. I plan to finish up next year but the option of phd degree completion in 2014 was not listed on the application.
Any comments on this will be useful.
Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Who can apply for INSPIRE Faculty Scheme? What are the eligibility criteria for availing INSPIRE Faculty Scheme?

Indian citizens and people of Indian origin including NRI/PIO status with PhD (in science, mathematics, engineering, pharmacy, medicine, and agriculture related subjects) from any recognized university in the world. Those who have submitted their PhD Theses and are awaiting award of the degree are also eligible. However, the award will be conveyed only after confirmation of the awarding the PhD degree.

http://www.online-inspire.gov.in/Account/FAQ#Chapter2

Anonymous said...

Has anyone recently appeared for seminar/ interview at IIT Kanpur recently via Skype? Care to share any experiences?

DDSarkar said...

I have 2 questions and I will appreciate anyone clarifying this:

1. First about DA that is paid along with salary. In my searches I find inconsistent numbers... can anyone please confirm me exact DA paid as of Sept2013 ? This is specifically for the Metro cities.

on Dr. Giri's page:
https://sites.google.com/site/newfacultyiisc/pay-structure

DA is mentioned at 58%

In one of his replies on March 26, 2012 at 7:09 PM, he mentioned
"DA @65% from 1.1.2012"

So which number is correct ?

Also on this page:
http://www.gservants.com/2013/01/03/expected-dearness-allowance-from-january-2013-vs-aicpin-iw/

It says that by Jan 2013 the DA will be increased to 72-80% ! whats the deal with that ?


2. Ok second question is more about Dos/Donts on negotiating terms and conditions after getting a job offer from one of the institutes.

There basic Rs 24,210 and GP of 7600 .. making a total basic pay of Rs. 31,810.
Now according to my searches, this seems low as compared to other IIXs and a few other non IIx good research institutes. they say that the salary is decided on my experience ( Without divulge too much.. I have 6-7 years postdoc experience with reasonably good research record that my application is considered "seriously" by 3-4 good institutes across the country)

now my questions are...

(A) Can/should I negotiate for higher salary ? Am I expected to ?

I am not so good talking about money. but I dont want to get shortchanged. This job is in one of the Metro cities so although academic life will depend on the research environment ...I know that the non-academic life (housing, kids, school, car, food etc) will depend on the money.

(B) Regarding Startup funding and yearly contigency money.. we have discussed verbally during interviews but the offer letter has no mention of this. Should I ask for it ? or is it the norm not to mention these things in a formal letter. Similarly lab space alloted is not mentioned in the letter.. should I ask for it in a formal letter ?

(C) I would like to wait to hear from the other "seriously considering" institutes before I say yes to anyone. How long a time frame is acceptable .. to take before accepting/not accepting this offer.


I will really appreciate hearing from anyone on these issues.

best

DDSarkar


DDSarkar said...

As an addition to the above post..

I would like someone to comment on the idea of letting the other institutes know that I have a firm offer. Is that good or bad for future offers ?

My aim here is to get all the offers I can and then make a comparative analysis (both academic and non-academic) and then make a decision.

Remarks, opinions and suggestions from experienced faculties will be very much appreciated.

DDSarkar

Ankur Kulkarni said...

About DA - it keeps increasing. So older numbers may be obsolete. Currently it is 80% and news says that it might become 90% soon.

Negotiation - might be possible, but I think IITs go by a formula based on the number of years of experience and may not be willing to budge from it.

DDSarkar said...

@ankur: Thanks ! are you sure that the DA is 80% for starting faculty ?

DDSarkar said...

I actually had to call me mother (she is a govt school teacher) to conform that 80% number !
I have been calculating my salary based on 58% and suddenly this 80% seems like Christmas ! ;)

Any comments on the rest of the questions will be very helpful.
thanks
DDSarkar

Ankur Kulkarni said...

Tomorrow you can have 10% more Christmas -

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Government-may-approve-10-DA-hike-on-Friday-to-benefit-80-lakh-people/articleshow/22704436.cms?

Anonymous said...

Typically how much time IITs take for announcing results of faculty (AP) interviews? I appeared for interview for AP at IIT kgp a month ago.
Has anyone got offers from IIT kgp recently?

Anonymous said...

To the anon@above

In which department you appeared for interview?. Also may I know the date of interview?.

To my knowledge it takes approximately 30~45 days to announce the results. One of my friend got his offer letter in 45 days after the interview on may 2013.

Anonymous said...

Ramanujan Fellowships are now offered to POstdocs Abroad only! This is a written rule now. Look to the SERB website.

Anonymous said...

Any News on IITB selections? I gave a talk last November 2012.

luks said...

In which Department?.. I have a talk next month in Meta Dept..They have requested for a demo class too.

Does any one know about the Faculty selection procedure at IITB ?.

Regards,
LM

Anonymous said...

I appeared for interview for AP in IIT kgp Meta Dept. last month. Has anyone received offer letter or any information?

Anonymous said...

Dear all,
last April I applied for AP at IITBBS and IITMandi but haven't heard anything yet.I would greatly appreciate if any of you could share your recent interaction with these IITs.
With best wishes,
Mark

DDSarkar said...

Dear All

Does any one know..
1. what is the salary scale of TIFR ? and how does it compare to IIX ?

2. I hear (but could not confirm) that TIFR faculty is given yearly contingency grant money of amount somewhere in between 20-35 lacs per year for consumables. Is that correct ?

This would make getting an offer from TIFR much more lucrative than IISc (specially for experimental labs where yearly funding is a huge plus) ?

Any comments on this ?

DDSarkar

Anonymous said...

Prof Giri: Is it true that poor economy is affecting faculty recruitment in Govt. institutions? There is already lot of financial problems associated with many govt. institutions, for purchase of reagents/salaries/instruments, funding agencies are not releasing money on time for sanctioned projects.

Anonymous said...

Answer to Questions Asked by Prasad (regarding IISc):

Don't expect a decent apartment as a new faculty, what you will get will be of extreme low quality. No one cares that new faculties are also human beings and they need to live decent life and satisfy the family needs before they think of to doing research. Its a govt hospital and a govt. school, right?

Be prepared for almost zero support from several people in the non-academic staff, specially office Clark. Better you don't be dependent on IISc's medical and school facilities.

Be prepared to get a quarter allotted in not less than two months and also be ready to run behind all the contractors, civil engineers for all the necessary fixes.

The so called new faculty building is not going to solve any problem just because there are hundreds of people in the waitlist.


But also see the positive adpects of IISc: Faculties are nice and supportive. Funding is not a problem and you get good students for research.

Best wishes....



Anonymous said...

Answer to Mark (September 26, 2013 at 11:28 AM)

I have recently applied to IIT Mandi in August. I am told by the Department chair that they plan to have seminars and interviews in December and will declare results within a week or so.

-PS

Anonymous said...

Hi All,

I am current Asst.Professor (contract) in an IIT. I joined right after completing my Ph.D. degree. After joining (in last 1 yr), I have published some good papers and also got a Project funded (All thanks to GOD).

Is there any provision in IIT/IISc for contract to permanent transition based on performance credential rather than waiting 2 additional yrs post-Ph.D. ? I have seen many people with less performance promoted to permanent from contractual without any output (in post-Ph.D 3 yrs experience) or MHRD does not allow this ?

Anonymous said...

@August 23, 2013 at 3:12 PM,

My application is under :engineering science" at DST fast track.

I called them multiple times, they said its under examination. But it had been almost 1.5 months after approval, however so far have not heard anything back.

Please suggest. Thanks a lot.

Anonymous said...

Reply to Anonymous who asked "Any News on IITB selections? I gave a talk last November 2012." on September 24, 2013 at 3:53 PM

Better you can ask HOD or any other junior/senior faculty, whom you might have interacted before/after seminar in Nov. 2012. You will come to know (unofficially though), about the status, i.e. whether you have been shortlisted after the seminar or not. If got shortlisted after seminar, then next step is to appear for interview at Director's office infront of selection committee, which may take time due to several reasons. Will be happy to inform more about IITB. Best wishes.

Anonymous said...

Reply to LM, luks asked "Does any one know about the Faculty selection procedure at IITB ?." on September 25, 2013 at 9:09 AM

Typically for all departments in IITB, the new faculty selection is a 3 stage process. (1) After your CV reaches Dean(Faculty)/HOD, it gets circulated among group of faculty members. Based on feedback from majority, if "yes", then next step (2) Will be called for seminar in the department (physically/on video, depending on whether from India/abroad). Based on feedback from faculty after the seminar, if again majority says "yes", goes to next step (3) Interview at Director's office in front of selection committee (in person/video mode, based on location of candidate). If qualifies in 3rd round also, then you will be offered a faculty position at IITB.
There is few very exceptions, for e.g. if 3rd step is NOT done, for excellent CV after stage (2), IITB may offer "Visiting Assistant Professor (on Contract)", which needs to be confirmed at suitable time later by asking the person to go through step (3). But this last situation is extremely rare, case specific and for brilliant candidate as well as very keen dept. and pro-active HOD.
Best wishes,

luks said...

Dear Anon @ 6th October 2013,

Thanks a lot for the reply. It is of immense help to me and I very much appreciate it.

LM

Anonymous said...

some anon (October 4, 2013 at 7:45 PM) has posted an interesting question for us. I am not sure as I am new in IIT. Is there anyone to provide any dimension to this topic ????????????????????????????????

THANKS

Anonymous said...

Message for scientists who wish to return to India:

1. Please do not come to India on any schemes promised by the institute. They are not properly functional and not worth returning to India under such schemes.

2. The two schemes started by DST viz Ramanujan and Inspire fellows are nothing much but similar to a post-doctoral status in the institute.

3. The current salary of Assistant Professors is currently around 95 K (including PF), while the salary of Ramanujan fellows is only 75K. The salary of Inspire fellows (which is less prestigious) is higher and pinned to the salary of Assistant Professors.

Seems like India returned scientists are being punished with lesser pay.

@ Giridhar May I request you to update the increased DA allowance (0.9)of faculties in your website. Thank you in advance

Anonymous said...

I agree with point 2 above. I'm planning to return to India as an Assistant professor and after spending some time on this blog I was a bit excited about applying for Ramanujan and INSPIRE fellowship. However, after talking to several professors (including HODs) at different IITs, it seems that these are viewed just as postdocs with higher than regular salaries..!!

-PS

Anonymous said...

I found this interesting article:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hyderabad-ropar-lead-new-iits-in-research-impact-mandi-trails/1179791/

Any comments?

Ankur Kulkarni said...

I am an Inspire fellow at IITB and no one treats me like a post-doc.

Anonymous said...

@ Ankur, Aren't you regular Assistant Prof holds additionally INSPIRE(your post history shows you have offered INSPIRE position 2 sessions earlier and managed to keep it alive and later coupled it with regular position - correct me if I'm wrong)...........This is completely different if you INSPIRE candidate only.. They are just super post doc (on terms of money), None of the institutes treat you like faculty or engage even in faculty meetings/discussions etc, except very few places rarely like Mandi etc. The stories of several INSPIRE fellows are horrible, I knew atleast 10 fellows personally in various branches across India.....Also every year no of INSPIRE holders declining the INSPIRE Offers raising(with good track record mainly from abroad). So exceptions are not examples and the ground reality is different........I really appreciate your contributions from the beginning for the faculty aspirants........

AnonXYZ

Ankur Kulkarni said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ankur Kulkarni said...

IITB, so far as I know, does not support an Inspire fellow unless IITB is also making him an offer for a faculty position. So I was talking from that standpoint. I can very well imagine that some Inspire fellows may be supported half-heartedly, or with the view that they would be like post-docs. In that case, they would not be treated as equal to faculty.

DDSarkar said...

Dear Everyone

Thanks to the anon who replied about the ground realities at IISc (about housing and life at IISc).
I have been very lucky to get quite a few offers....I am trying to make an informed decision.

To me it seems like..

IISc doesnt give any startup finding which is a must for experimental research lab AND on top of it the non-academic facilities are not really great.

Now, since IISc being the only inst. of its kind, it seems like one has to live with it or find job elsewhere. But if one ( I am returning to India) wishes to stay in

academics, other options are IITs, IISERs and TIFR.

The ground realities there are... IITs dont give any startup find either. Both IISc and IITs give about 20 lacs as startup fund which is peanuts for any state of the

art research lab facility. An estimate of my research would be between 2-3 Crores.

The PLUS of IITs and IISc would be pre-existing facilities. Forexample IIT-B/IISc has nanofabrication facility that can be a huge plus. and the 2nd PLUS is the really

good quality of students.

So basically BAD ( pay, non-academic life, startup fund) versus GOOD (students & common facility).

hmmm decisions decisions...

I can live with bad pay (after all the pleasures of doing research is always a plus) but for my research having no startup fund is a HUGE negative. I am told by

friends that once you are IISc, one can write up grants and collect ~2 Crores funds in about 2 years... but that would mean 2yrs for fund and 3 years for first

experiments to work ... that means ~ 5 years for the first papers to trickle out.

On a world research arena.. absence of 5 years will push you way far behind.


Talking about the alternatives... we have IISERs and TIFR (specially the new Hyderabad campus coming up).

IISERs have promised me 2-3 Crores no-problem research fund... however they expect realistically ~50% of time into teaching and 50% into research.

TIFR on other hand has less teaching and has no problems with startup funding either (except the fact one has to wait for 3-4 years before they have a building to

setup the lab in)

Here is the question:

(A) Given the above summary...would you all agree that in the current scenario.. taking up IISER or TIFR offer is much better than taking up IISc offer ?

(B) My another option is join neighboring institute in bangalore (which gives good startup finds) .. and I could still have access to IISc common facilities. How

realistic it is to use IISc facility being a faculty at neighboring research inst. (say JNCASR) ?

(C) From experienced faculties, I also wanted to know the possibilities of "adjunct faculty position" at IISc. Here the idea would be to join the neighboring inst. and

be a adjunct faculty at the IISc department that has offered me. Is that useful ? what are my rights and responsibilities as an adjunct faculty at IISc ? From my end,

I would like to be able to use the nanofab facility at IISc and take students from IISc. In return what would be responsibility of an adjunct faculty in IISc ? Do I

still get a lab-space at IISc as well? or all this depends completely on the Chairman of the dept. who is offering me the adjunct position ?

I have learnt a lot from this forum and I will really appreciate advise and comments on my queries above.

thanks

DDSarkar

Anonymous said...

The second conclave of Ramanujan fellows will be in Pune between December 14-16.

Can any of the earlier participants confirm, if the air fare was reimbursed by the DST?

Anonymous said...

Did All Ramanujan fellows get the email about the conclave? I joined in January 2013 and I have not received any email! Therefor I'm wondering if it is only for people who finished full one year as RF?

Anonymous said...

Can Faculty members of new IITs comment on their experience so far - and the pros and cons of joining a new IIT?

SS

Anonymous said...

To SS,

If you are interested in IIITs too, then I can write my experience. I got one offer from new IIT and another for IIIT and went for the later.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I am interested in opportunities in new engineering institutes with a research focus, please let me know your experience about IIIT.

SS

Anonymous said...

how is ugc frp selection process in india. does it serve the purpose

Venkat said...

Dear UGCFRP awardees, Please clarify my following doubts:

I am recently qualified for UGCFRP Assistant professor, I would like to know,

1. If UGC Assistant professors get own lab space and PhD students/ jrfs?

2. How much is the start up grant from UGC?

3. How much will be the gross salary including all emoluments?

4. Can I carry my Inspire faculty grant if I change to UGC-FRP?

Thanks in advance

Anonymous said...

Dear all,

This post is related to DST fast track project which is approved but waiting for sanctioning. My question is as follows:

I have written Rs 12,000 pm as a salary for JRF (i require a B.Tech qualified) in my approved proposal. However, it came to my attention that it should had been Rs 16,000 pm (so rs 4000 pm higher than what was approved).Now I want to solve this problem. I discussed with few of my colleagues in IIT and they recommended the following:

option 1: Mould the candidate position as "research assistant type JRF" so that he agrees for 12,000 pm.

option 2: Transfer the amount (Rs 4000 *12) = Rs 48,000 from "TRAVEL (within India)" head for paying the deficit of rs 4000 pm.

option 3: Transfer the amount (Rs 4000 *12) = Rs 48,000 from "CONTINGENCY" head for paying the deficit of rs 4000 pm.

Pls. advise which is the best option above (as I do not want to contact DST requesting to provide the deficit funds for his salary). Also pls. discuss the pros and cons of the options above.

Thank you
IIT-Prof

Anonymous said...

Dear DDSarkar,

In which department at IISc have you applied?

SM said...

It would be of great help to me if anyone here can confirm that (s)he took Ramanujan Fellowship while holding a permanent position (instead of regular salary).

I believe, it used to be practised earlier (as discussed in this blog last year) but recent FAQ in SERB website forbids it.

Any clarification will be of great help.

SM

DDSarkar said...

Dear Anon
Thanks for the comment.
However, I am not sure how advisable is to give out the name of dept. ?

Is it important for the questions that I have asked ?

And I would also like to take this opportunity to request again to the junta and faculty members to, if possible, shed some light on my conundrum.

thanks
DDSarkar

Anonymous said...

Till two years back, people with Ramanujam fellowship can take a permanent job but now one can not have this fellowship and a permanent job.

Anonymous said...

But the latest guidelines of Ramanujan Fellowship still says, the candidate can opt either the fellowship or present position. Although, now they have added a FAQ saying you can not.

In my case, when I accepted RJN fellowship Aug 2012, they agreed to give me fellowship instead of salary and the sanction letter was issued accordingly. But now I get a letter saying I can't take the fellowship if I have a permanent job. Did anyone else face this situation?

Giri@iisc said...

Yes, the rules for Ramanujam has been changed. If you have a permanent job, you can not get the fellowship. I do not know whether this applies to 2012 awardees but it does apply to 2013 awardees.

Anonymous said...

TO Giri@iisc

I am curious to know whether the changed rules on Ramanujan fellowship applicable to candidates holding asst. professor position in abroad.

Anonymous said...

About the new rules for Ramanujan fellowship, I recently talked to HOD of an old IITX and he told me that they only consider Ramanujan Fellowship after getting regular Asst. Prof position in the department.
Does it mean that Ramanujan fellowship is for peoples who have a position but not yet joined the institute?
Someone please clarify?

DKD

Anonymous said...

Yes! It is strange but true. Most institutes dont want to host RJN fellows without offering AP position! Typical procedure is keep your RJN application ready. As soon as you get an AP offer, send out your RJN application! In essence RJN is the new seed grant sponsored by DST!

Anonymous said...

Hi everybody, Thanks a lot for healthy and very informative discussion on this page. Great job Prof. Giri for hosting this blog and the page.
I wish to know approximate period needed for the announcement of shortlisting of INSPIRE faculty fellow? I applied in Sept. 2013.
Thanks.

gautam barua said...

I am now involved with the admin of a new institute: Indian Institute of Information Technology Guwahati (IIITG). This is one of the 20 IIITs being set up by the Govt. of India in public-private partnership (PPP) mode. For IIITG, MHRD has 57.5% stake, Assam Govt 35% and six industry partners the remaning 7.5%. Prominent among the industry partners is TCS.

An advertisement for faculty in CSE, ECE, Maths, Economics, and English Language Teaching has been issued. Please visit the institute's website (www.iiitg.ac.in) for more information on how to apply and also on the institute itself.

The campus will come up next to a proposed IT park. It is hoped that the two together will give a boost to the IT industry in Guwahati, which is in its nascent stage currently.
Gautam Barua

Anonymous said...

Hello,

I am planning to apply for a faculty position in IITs. I have a Ph.D from a well known foreign university and a couple of years of postdoc experience. I have published 5 papers in reputed journals as a first author. My concern is, I have a first class master's degree but a second class bachelor's degree. Am I be eligible for a faculty position? Will my application be rejected solely based on my undergrad. education?
Thanks for your help in advance.

iitmsriram said...

Anon wonders "I have a first class master's degree but a second class bachelor's degree. Am I be eligible for a faculty position?". Requirement is "Ph.D., with first class or equivalent at the preceding degree in the appropriate branch with
consistently good academic record throughout." So, first class is required in the preceding degree only and you are meeting that, hence you should be eligible. However, some IIX might decide that a second class Bachelors' degree does not satisfy "consistently good academic record throughout". This is unlikely, but possible; if they want to not consider you, this gives them the excuse!

Anonymous said...

Thanks iitmsriram for the useful information.

Anonymous said...

anybody knows when the results of this year's Swarnajayanti fellowship will be announced? The NCC meeting happened on 13-14 December, 2013.

Anonymous said...

@ Prof. Sriram,

I was just browsing some articles on IIT and found that the proposal of scholastic pay was in consideration some time back. The concept is great and highly rational indeed !

Being an experienced person working in IIT for a long time, pls. let us know if this has already been implemented or yet to be?

Thanks,

Anonymous said...

I need an urgent information. When a faculty member from one IIX applies to another do the application need to be routed through admin. Can the no objection from admin be submitted during the selection comm. meeting and not during initial application.

iitmsriram said...

@anon wonders whether scholastic pay has been implemented. This idea was put forth by the faculty federation and is recorded as such in the Goverdhan Mehta committee report which unfortunately did not include it in its final recommendations, so, it has not been implemented.

iitmsriram said...

@anon wonders if applications need to be "routed through proper channel". As per GoI rules, yes, it has to be routed through proper channel. However, it depends on your IIX as to how strictly this is implemented. I know of IIX (typically new IIT, for example), where if your application was not forwarded through proper channel, they refuse to give you an NOC to attend the interview and even hassle at the time of relieving (if you got the offer). This refusal to relieve is within the rules, but is a rather nasty way to treat ones foremost assets (faculty members). I also know of IIX which don't bother if you applied "through proper channel", don't ask for NOC and don't insist on a relieving order from the previous IIX. Summary - can't generalise.

Anonymous said...

to anon@Swarnajayanti fellowship

Ask around your institute people will know the news and tell you unofficially.....if you have not heard anything possibly you have not got it

Anonymous said...

Dear Prof. Sriram,

I have a very simple question:

Suppose a faculty (engg dept) in IIX has a granted US patent. During his promotion (or even new job application) what is the equivalence of this granted (issued)US patent to the # of papers on his CV ?

I know some abroad universities count a granted US patent equivalent to 2 Journal papers and 1 published US patent equivalent to 1 Journal paper. However, I am not sure about the rule in IIX during faculty recruitment/promotion.

Kindly let us know about it

Anonymous said...

A good news is that the NIT's (National institutes of technology) have also started the 4-tier flexible faculty structure from this year. I will be joining as AP(tenure-track/on-contract) in one of the NITs in 2014 in a newly created department after completing my PhD from a top US institution in my field.

Anonymous said...

A good news is that the NIT's (National institutes of technology) have also started the 4-tier flexible faculty structure from this year. I will be joining as AP(tenure-track/on-contract) in one of the NITs in 2014 in a newly created department after completing my PhD from a top US institution in my field.

iisc_abc said...

I am a faculty member at IISc, close to promotion to Assoc. Professor. I have decided to move to an IIT or NIT after I get promoted. Any suggestions on what are some good places to go to? I am looking for a good work culture, and an affordable cost of living, specially, the cost of renting or owning a house with a professor's salary (the latter is the reason for leaving Bangalore).

Anonymous said...

NIT Sringar or NIT agartala are very good places..cheap with scenic beauty,

vergere6 said...

Professor Madras (or anyone in the know), I was wondering how easy/hard it is for Indian researchers to collaborate with foreign ones. If, for example, I have long-term collaborators from the US and I end up doing research in India, would there be practical difficulties in co-advising PhD students, or publishing papers or attributing things to funding agencies?

My question is a little vague, but hopefully it makes at least a little sense.

Ankur Kulkarni said...

In my own experience, initiating a collaboration is a bit hard. This is mainly because of the limitations of the internet medium. Once a rapport has been built in person, continuing a collaboration over a long distance is not much of a problem.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous asked "Suppose a faculty (engg dept) in IIX has a granted US patent. During his promotion (or even new job application) what is the equivalence of this granted (issued)US patent to the # of papers on his CV ? " on Dec. 26, 2013, 6:27 PM.

Answer: IIXs also calculates patents in similar way as you have mentioned. For example, IITB considers 1 US patent is equivalent to 2 journal papers and 1 Indian patent is equivalent to 1 journal paper.

vergere6 said...

@Ankur Kulkarni

Thank you for your reply. I have some fairly productive lines of research with collaborators, and I would be loath to cut them off when moving to India. It's good to know that this is possible.

Giri@iisc said...

There is nothing stopping you from collaboration. Joint guidance of ph.d students will not be possible unless IIX has a MoU with the university. Of course, you can write patents and publications with anyone.

vergere6 said...

What about the practicalities of flying them to India, or arranging for accommodations? Is it possible to use grant money and/or institute resources to accomplish this?

Giri@iisc said...

That is a not a problem. You can get grants for that. Look the DST website..it lists collaboration grants with over 70 countries.

vergere6 said...

Thank you, Dr. Madras.

Anonymous said...

@January 3, 2014 at 9:34 AM,

Thank you for sharing this information about the journal equivalence of a US patent/Indian patent @ IITB.

Further, inputs on this at other IIX from anyone is highly appreciated.

May I please request Prof. Giridhar and Prof. Sriram, to share their insight on this.

Thank you

IISC_PROF said...

Anon above: To the best of my knowledge, IISc gives ZERO credit for patents. As someone who has multiple US patents, I agree with this approach. Papers are peer reviewed, while patents are not. In theory, you can patent an idea even if it is a pretty rotten one with no consequences. In the end, if no one else has "invented" your "mousetrap", the patent office will grant you a patent. In fact, in many MNC companies nowadays, people patent in bulk, and many of these are of very low quality. If
an attempt is made to publish the
same idea in a peer-reviewed journal of
repute, it will not meet the
quality standards.

The only thing that is counted in IISc is how many journal papers you have published. There is a certain equivalence established between conference and journal papers in certain departments. I believe that there is a certain standard set on what the quality of the journal or conference should be. I don't know if impact factor plays a role in that, yet.

Also, a book chapter of a certain length is also considered equivalent to a journal paper in some departments in IISc.

Anonymous said...

@ IISC_PROF,

Thank you for sharing your view.

I partially agree to the argument provided. However, did not understand your logic about multiple patents. Would you pls. explain this ?

Nevertheless, for getting a granted patent it is widely known, the idea/theory should be completely novel (inventive) unlike journal paper. Many journal papers can get published if they have built upon someone else work (yielding some good results). Moreover, in journals one may suggest reviewers (which can be useful if one is well connected). But in patents one is anonymous to the patent examiner/attorney completely. Thirdly, in abroad, before an actual patent application is filed, some third party organization (mostly not the host university) reviews it to decided whether the invention is patentable and should be sponsored ? So in most cases non one files a patent by his/her personal money. Its mostly sponsored by some organization. Finally, all patents require the work to have some definite commercial application unlike papers where sometimes novel theory is sufficient.

However, one may differ with the things written above.

Further, inputs from anyone is highly appreciated.

Anonymous said...

January 4, 2014 at 4:36 PM (IISC_PROF),

Would you please share the equivalence of a conference paper and Journal paper followed at IISc. Please note: I am referring to a standard conference.

Thank you

randomguy said...

i was wondering if anyone here has experience applying for asst prof at iitd. I applied online against rolling advertisement in august 2013 and have not received any response yet. They have another advertisement with Jan end deadline; I am not sure if I should apply again against the advertisement.

PS: most Indian institutes seem to have (t)rolling ads and then some "real" ads at random times, mainly to limit applications from students/postdocs from USA and other countries, with sometimes additional weird requirements of sending hard copies, attested documents, demand drafts, money orders, and what not. Just a comment on the insanity of the system, from a cannot-do-anything applicant.

Anonymous said...

Can someone comment on the available on-campus housing for Assistant Professors at various IITs/NITs? I know that the salaries and benefits are not that great, but do the IITs make any effort to provide good housing and other campus facilities to new hires? Which are some of the best IITs in this regard?

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Any news about result of INSPIRE Faculty Awards 2013 (session-II)?

Thanks in advance.

Ankur Kulkarni said...

I have been at IIT Bombay for a year now and have observed that most (close to 90%) of our graduate students come from small towns and lesser known colleges. We get hardly any applicants from well-known Mumbai city colleges, even though we are in the same city (this is case in my department, but I think it is so in other departments in IITB too). I think the proportion of UGs from the city is higher.

I was wondering if this is the case in other IIXs, and if so, a) what may be the reason for this is and b) has this been the case historically or this is a recent phenomenon?

Anonymous said...

@ Ankur,

I have also been in an IIX (engg dept) for more than a year (1 yr 2 month).

This trend is also noted here. All applications from local engg colleges. Very few from an IIX.

Perhaps the IIX apply abroad. Rest opt for jobs. Mostly ones who were lecturers apply in IIX.

Ankur Kulkarni said...

I wouldn't expect applications from IIXs, since these students have better options. But applications coming primarily from small towns surprises me.

My overall feeling is that IIXs in major cities like Bombay Bangalore Delhi and Madras are falling behind and have fallen behind the surrounding society. The society outside is willing to pay high fees to earn a foreign degree. IITs cannot provide a comparable level of prestige and quality at the current level of fees. So only those who cannot go abroad are opting for IITs.

Actually here's another bizarre thing I have observed. Our graduate students rarely go to companies where UGs typically go. In my field, most graduate students are mathematically well trained, and they could in principle work at MNC labs like Google Yahoo Amazon etc to do "machine learning" or at a random finance firm. But for whatever reason, they don't. They rather go to low-key places like BARC, NAL and sundry other government labs or to some teaching institution.

Unknown said...

Ankur, would it be because MNCs do not tend to hire the graduates from IIX, or is it because of the academic upbringing of the graduates (while they were undergrads in small town colleges) which make them prefer government jobs over MNCs ?

Anonymous said...

@Prof. Kulkarni
may be small-towners have bigger goals in life than metropolitans and know few shortcuts :-)

On graduates preferring govt jobs or not going to top IT/management companies, it is partly because GATE-rankers (MTechs) are counted less than JEE-rankers (BTechs) in top companies. IIX education is generally meaningless for placement-purposes anyway, else level of training would have mattered. Govt jobs, on the other hand, tend to give more importance to technical skills than JEE rank, atleast at the time of recruitment, which come at an advantage for MTechs.

I dislike the statement "IITs cannot provide a comparable level of prestige and quality at the current level of fees." I dont think fees is the issue here since govt is funding graduate students and most of the teaching and research. Unlike american universities which has to depend on fees to keep them going. Also, most indians prefer filthy hostels of IITs over air-conditioned fancy facilities of pvt institutes like manipal. Quality has to come from within, by providing good education and doing good research, with the resources India can afford.

Anonymous said...

Dear ALL,

Can some please let me know what post should I be advertising for a manpower through my DST fast track funded project, where the sanctioned amount by DST is 12,000 for first 2 yrs and 14,000 for the last year ? (Note: I asked for the same amount in my proposal).

It certainly cannot be JRF because the salary is 16,000. Is it Project Assistant ?

Thank you

Anonymous said...

Any idea on when the Swarnajayanti fellowship results will be declared ? The final round of presentations was held more than a month ago.

Anonymous said...

Any idea on when the Swarnajayanti fellowship results will be declared ? The final round of presentations was held more than a month ago.

Ankur Kulkarni said...

But if "GATE-rankers (MTechs) are counted less than JEE-rankers (BTechs) in top companies", then what is the reason? Our Btechs have very little mathematical training, and MTechs/PhDs, if they take the right courses, are substantially better trained and are more careful and articulate in their speech. For sectors like finance, I would think that is all that is really required.

Something is amiss. The economics is just not adding up. Either there is something that the employers want which the students don't have, or either students or employers are unaware of the options they have.

Anonymous said...

@prof. Kulkarni

Unawareness is definitely a problem. Also unwillingness of companies to shortlist mtechs for in campus interviews. I was an mtech at iit and I know some of my colleagues went to finance but it was not easy for them to get shortlisted for interview, given the mindset of the companies. However, they did well later (after being shortlisted ). Why blame companies, even some of the iit's prefer btech-iit's for faculty positions for people with otherwise similar credentials, so even the administration feels their graduate programs is worthless. I know some non JEEian faculty members have done fairly well in research, but the trouble remains as they are yet to reach the top floor.

Anonymous said...

I was also an M.Tech. at IITD back in 2000. I personally did not feel that companies were ranking MTech less that BTech (except Indian Oil which only recruited BTech). I got the highest pay package that was offered by an Indian company at that time. In fact the four people they selected consists of 2 M.Techs and 2 Dual-degree. Inside the company also, almost everyone was from IIX and I never felt that anyone was treated any differently - it was all about the work.

Now being an AP in IIIX and coordinator of M.Tech program in CS, I had a session with incoming students on the orientation day, and 60-70% of them mentioned that they want to go into teaching. Major reasons given by them was the academic freedom and better work-life balance.

Anonymous said...

@^
I think MTech-CS does have very good placements but I am not sure the same holds for other departments and for all job sectors (e.g. IT versus finance). But the fact that MTechs are more academically inclined is indeed true.

Anonymous said...

In the context of recruitment of BTechs and MTechs, I'd like to share my experience of IIT Kgp in 2006. Most of the reputed companies not even allowed us, the MTechs to appear for written test or other shortlisting processes. I also support the observation about IIT administration in this regard. I myself heard some profs jokingly saying the much repeated statement - btechs = primary products, mtechs = bi-products and ph d's = waste products of the IIT system! And, by this, they humorously and shamelessly admit their own class too, as they themselves were Ph D's from some IITs. No surprise, I decided not to pursue Ph D at any cost in such a system and had chosen a US university.

Ankur Kulkarni said...

So it seems like information is the issue. I think all of this can readily be changed. PG students seem to have more exposure to core engineering sectors. Since they are coming from small towns, they do not know enough about newer sectors like finance, analytics etc. Once the information asymmetry is nullified, it is a win-win situation for both sides.

Anonymous said...

seventh pay commission is at the door step, why there are no heated discussions and debates or even projections, like it was there in the previous times.

Anonymous said...

With the leapfrogging inflation the current AP, Asc P and P salaries are equivalent to what it was 10 years earlier. Whatever you do please do not start with the PPP nonsense again.

Anonymous said...

how can it be what is was 10 years back? what are you speaking about?

Anonymous said...

Hello all,

I have just been selected for the INSPIRE fellowship by DST?. Could some on this forum tell me exactly how much time I am given by DST to find a host?. I do not seem to find this time mentioned anywhere?.

I hear it is about 3-6 months. Is there some reference to this?. Can I get this time to find a host extended and if so with what reasons?.

Thanks in advance.

Best,

Unknown said...

I'm a holder of two US patents (both filed through the corporation that employed me) and I can state with certainty that they're issued fairly easily, without significant review and have no constraining circumstances like commercial applicability, fundamental innovation, etc. It just has to be sufficiently novel-sounding to fool the patent examiner (easy enough in most fast-moving technology or software-related areas). In most cases, the first to file has a significant advantage, even if he/she had nothing to do with the alleged invention. BTW, the two "inventors" with the largest number of individual US patents today are a Japanese guy who files patents on mumbo-jumbo related to Consciousness, The Universe and Spirituality (some 10,000+ patents) and a Florist in Milwaukee who patents floral arrangements (1000+ patents). Neither of them is exactly like Thomas Edison, but the US Patent Office doesn't care as long as they pay the patent fees and there is no other patent on file which exactly matches their patent claims.

Anonymous said...

@ sivasankar chander,

Pls. let us know what is your goal behind posting such a comment ?

I believe, its the intention that matters. People file patents with the intention to commercialize/protect it (not with the idea to fool the examiner and somehow get a patent).

If fooling is the process to achieve something, it can be accomplished in any sphere of life irrespective of area (not only for patents). But then the morals and inner consciousness of that person will hurt for the rest of the life. Honest intent/effort is what a researcher aims (not fooling), and leaves the rest for the Almighty to take care.

Anonymous said...

Is there a new official policy within MHRD or IIX about hiring of spouses?

I recently heard rumours that if one is offered a position at an IIX then it is now institute's official duty to either consider the application of spouse or try to find a suitable job in the city. Seems too good to be true !!

-anon123

Unknown said...

Neither of my patents was filed with the intention of fooling anybody, but the language of the patent as originally disclosed to the legal department differed considerably from the language of the patent when it issued - the latter was unrecognizable, and had much broader claims than those made by the original inventors (including me).

My comment was in response to earlier comments that equated a US patent with two journal papers, and responses to those comments. IMHO, it's not possible to assign a mathematical relation between a patent and a scientific paper - they're apples and oranges. There are junk patents (lots of them) and there are worthless papers (lots of them, again) which have passed peer review.

I merely wanted to point out the the barriers to the issuance of a patent anywhere are very low - irrespective of whether it's Indian, US, EU or anywhere.

OTOH, the litmus test of authentic scientific work is usually very simple: Is it original? If it doesn't pass this test in the affirmative, it's probably junk - and unfortunately, about 99% of the work done in the so-called premier institutions in the country falls in this category.

BTW, I think I do know the difference between good science and bad science - I'm one of the few people still around in India who has worked with the one and only Marconi Award winner of Indian origin (who got the Award this year, in the same broad area as my patents).

Anonymous said...

Dear All,

I have recently been invited for a departmental talk of one hour and faculty interaction at IITK. I will highly appreciate if people over the forum, particularly IITK new appointees, can provide some valuable tips for the visit.
I have a couple of specific questions:
i) I am wondering if the faculty interaction will be informal or formal interview?
ii) Whether this visit will be the basis for final decision or will there be another interview later?
iii) How long will they take to make final decision?

Any comments in this regard will be highly appreciated.

Thanks

Anonymous said...

@ Sivasankar:

Your comments now make sense. However not sure working with Marconi award winner is an achievement.....anyways that is ones own personal perception.

The equation between patents and Journal papers came into limelight considering the scenario during promotion.


If there is not strict equivalence then how is comparison done between 2 people who has granted US patents and no US patents ??????????????????????

Same question applies for quality conference papers and Journal papers during promotion???????????????

Anonymous said...

for the IITK-applicant, I went through the same formal interview process, and I have been offered Assistant Professor position there. For your questions, I will say it depends a lot on the department. The department which hosted me was full of extremely hospitable, warm, and nice people. The faculty there made me at ease and although it was a formal process, I was made to feel at home and informal.
Yes, it's the last major step (but some departments may have exceptions), and hereafter, if you are selected, you will be required to appear for the final Selection Committee interview (over skype) which is more of a formality.
For my case, the decision of the formal interview process at Kanpur (i.e. interview/seminar process) wasn't formally told because they had made it obvious that I was selected. The chair of the department told me at the end of the day/interview that I will have a selection interview (formality) after I send them names of my referees. For my case, the time between formal interview @ kanpur and offer letter was 6 months but that was because I was yet to defend my PhD thesis, and so IITK couldn't give me an offer (officially) until I formally defended my thesis.



Anonymous said...

I was wondering what is the minimum and maximum teaching load for new faculty at iit's. Some sources suggest young faculty teaching up to 20 hrs/week and senior faculty getting away with 6-7 hrs/week. Is this the norm?
E.g.
http://manishshrikhande.blogspot.com/2012/05/inequitable-distribution-of-teaching.html

Anonymous said...

@ Anon above:

I am in new IIT since 2012. We in our engg dept have only 2 subjects to teach per yr (lab courses are not counted in this case).

However sometimes due to sudden non-availability of some faculty, the sharing is done by 3 faculties.

So your figures are absolutely untrue in case of our IIT.

Anonymous said...

@anon above

Thanks for the info. The link I gave was from IIT roorkee, and the hours seemed particularly high due to practicals/tutorials. I believe these will be handled by TA's and/or shared by different faculty members? It also does not clarify the class strength, teaching a large class should be considered higher load than compared to smaller classes.

-anon who raised this question

Anonymous said...

Hi,can you please provide details and FAQ's about the part time courses available at IISC.

Anonymous said...

@ Anon who raised this question,

Yes practicals and tutorials are handled by Ph.D scholars.

I know people always try to show an inferior image (much mush lesser than it actually is) of new IITs in terms of teaching load, research infrastructure etc. However, it is much much better, I can assure you.

The only problem I felt is the administrative load to be high.

Anonymous said...

@anon above:

Thanks again for the insight. Since you mentioned administrative load, I know some assistant professor at new IITs are even chairing the department, as opposed to the old ones where the new faculty does not probably have any such responsibility. How much time does these leave for research, everything included? Well, I studied at a reputed IIT and I remember some new faculty members working in their offices till 3am in the night, but they might have been exceptions :-)

-anon who raised the question

Anonymous said...

@ Anon above,

I feel research does not get affected. Just that the entire process requires efficient time management.

vergere6 said...

Does anyone have any information about the hiring policies Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Chennai? It doesn't have the most transparent website, but I've heard it's a wonderful place to be.

My impression (from their website) is that they mainly hire theory people, but if you look at the actual list of faculty, they have people doing applied work, numerics, and so forth.

Anonymous said...

really this is a great blog.....
ASP.Net Training in Noida

Ankur Kulkarni said...

I have now completed one year of the INSPIRE Faculty grant and I have zero balance in most my heads. Can someone help me what needs to be done next to get the next year's installment?

Sam said...

I have recently appeared for an interview at IIT Indore. Does anyone have any idea of how long they usually take to provide the offer letter to the candidate if selected? I will really appreciate any reply

Anonymous said...

To Sam

In which department you attended the Interviiew?

Anonymous said...

At Sam,

Bio science dept....is it

Sam said...

yes Bio science

Anonymous said...

@ sam: 2 people were recommended..i think

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Did anyone received an offer letter from IIT Kanpur recently? I visited the institute in November for the talk and faculty interaction, but haven't heard anything yet. How long usually they take to make a decision?

Thanks in Advance,

Anonymous said...

Hi! IIT Madras faculty recruitment advertisement is open.
Can anyone suggest if I can apply with Thesis submitted but not defended?
Thanks
SM

Anonymous said...

Dear All
I will be grateful if someone has a suggestion to offer.
I am about to finish my Phd in engineering from top university in Europe.
I just crossed the line (35 years) and publications from PhD are yet to come (in another 3 months say).
I have relevant industrial experience of 5 years after MTech from IIT.

The question is in case I get an opportunity from NIT or a postdoc from a mid level university which one should I go for?
I will finally like to end up in an IIT with good research infra.

Thanks in advance
AP

Ankur Kulkarni said...

I would suggest, do a post-doc.

Saswata said...

From 1st April 2014, Ramanujan Fellowship amount has been increased to Rs. 85,000 per month. The Research Grant has been increased to Rs. 7 Lakhs per month. The annual review would be done by a DST committee at the beginning of every financial year, before the release of the subsequent year's fund.

Does anyone know the date of the upcoming review?

Saswata said...

Correction: I meant 7 lakhs per annum in the comment above!

Anonymous said...

@saswata
Does anyone know the date of the upcoming review?

The last email from DST said that DST will review the progress and how and where to send the reports will be communicated. It was back in December, and so far nothing has come from them...

Anonymous said...

DST order for enhanced fellowship is posted on the serb website Rs 85,000 salary and Rs 7 Lakhs research grant

Anonymous said...

@Ankur: Thanks for the suggestion.
Can you just briefly summarize the pros and cons of PDF vs Astt. Prof in NIT?
It maybe useful for future applicants like me (if there are any).
Regards
AP

Ankur Kulkarni said...

If your eventual aim is to make it to an IIT as a Prof, then you should build up a profile that shows considerable research promise. A post-doc would give you this more than an NIT position.

Anonymous said...

AP,Ankur

In PD you will not have opportunity to guide MTech/Phd but in NIT you will. So you do more independent research at NIT but the output in the end may differ.

Faculty at NIT

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