IIT Bombay teachers march near the main administration building on Monday to protest the new pay regime

New Delhi, Aug. 26: IIT teachers have demanded financial compensation apart from their basic salaries for the years they spend in higher learning and pursuing a PhD instead of working after undergraduation.

The teachers have suggested that the compensation either be provided as a fixed monthly allowance or as a percentage of their basic salary through a scheme existing in apex scientific research organisations.

This is the first time the IITs have specifically cited the higher qualifications their teachers require to join the faculty — unlike in most universities — to argue for better pay.

This demand was partly articulated in a memorandum submitted by the All India IIT Faculty Forum — a body elected by teachers at the premier engineering schools — to the human resource development ministry on Monday.

Faculty sources confirmed that an additional document explaining this new request would be submitted to the ministry soon.

Faculty across the IITs are protesting against a new pay regime notified by the government, which snips salaries recommended by a central pay panel and ignores a slew of other incentives suggested by the panel. The Telegraph had reported the new pay regime on August 18.

The University Grants Commission allows those who have cleared a National Eligibility Test — or its state equivalents — to conditionally join university faculty if they have enrolled for a PhD, before its completion.

A PhD, however, is the minimum qualification for anyone joining the IITs at the lowest regular teaching post on offer — that of an assistant professor.

IIT faculty are arguing that they should be compensated for the financial loss they suffer because of the delay in their joining the workforce.

In their memorandum, the faculty have calculated what they argue is the financial loss a youngster studying to teach at an IIT would suffer, as compared to joining a central government job.

On an average, a student takes six years — two years for postgraduation and four years for a PhD — after his undergraduation to become eligible to teach at an IIT.

On the other hand, he can join the government immediately after completing his undergraduation.

During their postgraduation and PhD, scholars are paid a study allowance but this amount is significantly lower than what they could have earned if they joined the government.

Based on present government salaries, the IIT faculty calculated Rs 23,80,321 as the total financial loss of a student who today decides to pursue higher studies necessary to teach at an IIT in six years.

Spread over 35 years — the average career span of a teacher at an IIT — this amounts to Rs 12,114 a month, which the faculty argue should be paid in addition to the IIT teacher’s salary.

Alternatively, the IIT faculty have suggested that their research qualifications be considered to entitle them to a performance related incentive scheme (PRIS) at defence, atomic energy and space research organisations.

“What will ultimately attract a youngster to the IIT faculty is the prospect of good research which he may be able to pursue,” a senior IIT Delhi faculty member said.

The Indian Space Research Organisation, the Defence Research and Development Organisation and research institutions of the Department of Atomic Energy pay researchers an extra 20 per cent of their basic pay recognising their research qualifications.

Researchers can join Isro or DRDO immediately after completing their engineering undergraduation — but they need a PhD to teach at an IIT.