18 Apr, 2008, 1154 hrs IST,Kumar Anand, TNN
AHMEDABAD: Top academicians of the country can hope for top salaries too. The faculty members of IITs and IIMs may see a salary rise as high as 200%, to bring them at par with global pay levels. Not just that, the pay scales will be relaxed and a contract system introduced for offering flexible pay packs to ensure that the best brains are not lost to the private companies.
Despite the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations not having a direct bearing on their salaries, the recommendations made by a separate committee formed by the Union ministry of HRD—to be possibly submitted within six months—will have enough clues to take from the Commission recommendations to help country's top institutes compensate their faculty members in the best terms possible. The exercise is to ensure that the faculty is encouraged, salarywise, to put in their best in shaping up the country's top talent.
"The recommendations will be based on what has been laid down in the Sixth Pay Commission, as has been the norm. And if this happens, then IIMs and IITs will be in a position to bring salary of faculty members at par with international standard. This will arm these institutions with the flexibility of deciding their own salary," said senior IIM-A faculty and member of the Sixth Pay Commission Prof Ravindra Dholakia.
Despite the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations not having a direct bearing on their salaries, the recommendations made by a separate committee formed by the Union ministry of HRD—to be possibly submitted within six months—will have enough clues to take from the Commission recommendations to help country's top institutes compensate their faculty members in the best terms possible. The exercise is to ensure that the faculty is encouraged, salarywise, to put in their best in shaping up the country's top talent.
"The recommendations will be based on what has been laid down in the Sixth Pay Commission, as has been the norm. And if this happens, then IIMs and IITs will be in a position to bring salary of faculty members at par with international standard. This will arm these institutions with the flexibility of deciding their own salary," said senior IIM-A faculty and member of the Sixth Pay Commission Prof Ravindra Dholakia.
The commission's recommendations for autonomous institutions, mainly those dealing with contractual appointments, negotiated salary and flexible pay bands have been made with the idea to ensure that none of the senior faculty members stagnate in their career, talented faculty are well compensated and quality of education does not suffer due to the lack of talented faculty pool.
The recommendations made by the Commission give these institutes freedom and flexibility to pay any amount of salary to its professors, associate professors and assistant professors, and even appoint international faculty members on contractual terms to enhance the quality of teaching, if they so like to.
A separate committee responsible for making recommendations on salary structure of faculty and administrative staff of IITs, IIMs and central universities is formed following the recommendations made by the University Grants Commission (UGC) committee on salary structure of staff and faculty members of universities and colleges across the country. While UGC will submit its recommendations any time now, the committee deciding on salary structure of faculty members of IITs and IIMs is yet to take shape. But this should not take more than six months to submit its report.
The institutes had earlier followed the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission in deciding the salary structure of their faculty and other staff, which is currently equivalent to the salary structure of joint secretary to central government. While IIM-A professors draw a basic salary of Rs 18,400-22,400, the amount is Rs 16,400-20,000 for associate professors. For assistant professors, it is Rs 12,000-18,000.
In its recommendations, the Sixth Pay Commission has introduced pay band instead of pay scale system. "Pay band system will give institutes flexibility enough to pay any amount of salary to its faculty and help retain talent. The concept of contractual appointments will allow autonomous bodies to recruit the best talent by negotiating their salaries," said Professor Dholakia.
"The basic problem is not about reviving salary but to allow flexibility when deciding pay packages, removing the problem of stagnation and finally, delaying the system to increase efficiency. We have focussed on these factors in the Sixth Pay Commission," he added.
A separate committee responsible for making recommendations on salary structure of faculty and administrative staff of IITs, IIMs and central universities is formed following the recommendations made by the University Grants Commission (UGC) committee on salary structure of staff and faculty members of universities and colleges across the country. While UGC will submit its recommendations any time now, the committee deciding on salary structure of faculty members of IITs and IIMs is yet to take shape. But this should not take more than six months to submit its report.
The institutes had earlier followed the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission in deciding the salary structure of their faculty and other staff, which is currently equivalent to the salary structure of joint secretary to central government. While IIM-A professors draw a basic salary of Rs 18,400-22,400, the amount is Rs 16,400-20,000 for associate professors. For assistant professors, it is Rs 12,000-18,000.
In its recommendations, the Sixth Pay Commission has introduced pay band instead of pay scale system. "Pay band system will give institutes flexibility enough to pay any amount of salary to its faculty and help retain talent. The concept of contractual appointments will allow autonomous bodies to recruit the best talent by negotiating their salaries," said Professor Dholakia.
"The basic problem is not about reviving salary but to allow flexibility when deciding pay packages, removing the problem of stagnation and finally, delaying the system to increase efficiency. We have focussed on these factors in the Sixth Pay Commission," he added.
Source: ET
Unlimited freedom, unlimited storage. Get it now
No comments:
Post a Comment