HRD Ministry meets striking IIT/IIM professors

Progress is being made in the month-long standoff between the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry and the IIT and IIM faculty. The ministry has met with representatives of the striking faculty to take stock of their demands. CNBC-TV18's Kritika Saxena reports.

It has taken a hunger strike to get the government to listen to the demands of the professors teaching at IITs and IIMs. The hunger strike, which started on September 24, came after the HRD Ministry turned a blind eye and deaf ear to a month-long strike. Sources say that after a meeting with the striking professors, ministry officials have agreed to consider giving performance-linked incentives (PLIs) to the faculty. However, they have made it clear that a pay revision is not feasible as all available monetary resources would be devoted to developing the six new IIMs.

Here's what the faculty is learnt to have wanted:

One: Performance-linked incentives to be included as a variable component of their salary. A limit of 60% for professors and 40% for researchers has been suggested. These incentives would be based on three components: organizational, departmental and individual performances.

Two: Salary for senior faculty that has achieved the required credits must contain allowances for transport, housing and entertainment. Sources say the ministry will discuss the way forward, and forward approved demands to the Cabinet for approval.

If the performance-linked incentive scheme is approved by the cabinet, it will be effective from next year.

However, a problem arises here. Just how will the HRD ministry set forth parameters to judge performance of these faculties that have never been graded on performance before?