IIT 6

Pay Fracas: The Government Now Adds Insult to Injury

The Education Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal had remarked, “IITs are good because you get thebest students, not necessarily you give them the best.” The Ministry has translated hiswords into action by giving the IITs and other higher institutes of learning a deal that will,according to the outraged faculty of IITs, “lead to the collapse of IIT system.” Not only hasthe Goverdhan Mehta Committee Report been disregarded, but in a move to add insult toinjury, even the existing hierarchy has been reshuffled so that the status of the IIT facultynow is lower in comparison to their UGC counterparts.For instance, an Assistant Professor at IITs is expected not only to have an excellentacademic record with Ph.D. and 3 years experience, but also to have quality publicationsto his/her credit. Earlier, s/he was at par with UGC readers (currently re-designated asAssociate Professor). The report declares that the Assistant Professor would start with apay of Rs.30000 and an academic grade pay of Rs. 8000 in Pay Band-3. He will continueto remain in Pay Band-3 unless he becomes an Associate Professor. On the other handan UGC Associate Professor is automatically upgraded to Pay Band-4 with a basic pay ofRs. 37400 and a grade pay of Rs.9000 in three years. Even a Deputy Registrar (old basicof Rs. 12000) who starts in pay band-3 with a grade pay of Rs. 7600 is automaticallyupgraded after 5 years to pay band-4 with a grade pay of Rs. 8700.For the IIT Associate Professors, the case is even more humiliating. Not in keeping withthe Mehta Committee recommendations (Basic of Rs.43000 and AGP of Rs.10000), theyhave been offered a pay of Rs. 42800 and a reduced academic pay of Rs. 9500 whileUGC Professors (who used to draw the same basic of Rs. 16400 in the 5

Pay Scale)draw an academic grade pay of Rs. 10000. The government offers academic grade payof Rs.10000 to all faculty members/Registrars across academic institutes who weredrawing an old basic of Rs. 16400 with the exception of the IIT Associate Professors. ThisAGP of Rs.9500 is deliberately introduced to deprive Associate Professors of their dueperks such as TA, DA, hotel charges, etc., at par with the others.Professors in IIT start in Pay Band-4 with a minimum pay of Rs.48000 and AGP ofRs.10500 which is below Mehta Committee recommendations (AGP Rs.11000). After 6years the AGP of only 40% Professors will increase to Rs. 12000. However, the other60% Professors will be deprived of AGP of Rs. 12000. This grossly flouts MehtaCommittee recommendation of automatic up-gradation to Rs.12000 for all Professorsafter 5 years.The comparative table below illustrates these points: