IITs devise schemes to attract faculty
The IITs are in the process of drafting faculty-incentive schemes like overseas travel and special programmes to attract more teachers. IIT Bombay currently is short of 200 teachers ... as the final phase of the 27 per cent other backward classes (OBCs) reservation is implemented this year, the institute wants to increase the faculty headcount to about 800 in the next three to four years.
The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are in the process of drafting faculty-incentive schemes like overseas travel and special programmes to attract more teachers.
Published statistics from the Union HRD ministry point out to a rather grim situation. For instance, one-third of the teaching posts at the IITs and National Institutes of Technology (NITs) are lying vacant. Overall, there is a deficit of 1,284 teachers at IITs, which is the largest share of the crunch. The nine centrally-funded technical institutions (collectively called CFTIs), which include the prestigious IITs and IIMs, are currently short of more than 3,000 faculty members or about one-third of the sanctioned strength.
IIT Bombay, for instance, currently is short of 200 teachers. "We have a policy of rolling recruitment where we fill up vacant posts as soon as we find a qualified candidate," explains Bhartendu Seth, president of IIT Bombay’s faculty association. IIT Bombay also takes care of immediate needs by hiring faculty on a contractual basis.
IIT Bombay is planning to introduce a mentorship programme to assist young faculty members who would join the institute. They will be guided to the administrative processes and understand the rules and regulations. Currently, IIT-B has around 480 faculty members and 6,200 students. But as the final phase of the 27 per cent other backward classes (OBCs) reservation is implemented this year, the institute will have more students. Therefore, the institute wants to increase the faculty headcount to about 800 in the next three to four years.
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