IIT faculty threatens agitation for pay hike

Around 170 faculty members of IIT-Bombay joined the nationwide relay fast on Saturday morning demanding better salaries and allowances as part of the nationwide stir by the faculty members of the institutes.

Ten days ago the faculty of the elite technology institutes had taken mass casual leave.

However,the faculty members continued teaching wearing black badges in protest,seeking prompt consideration of their demand by the Union HRD Ministry.

The protesters said the hike should be commensurate with the increased burden on them as the result of 27 per cent increase in the seats after reservation for OBCs as also because they now had to cater to the new and satellite IITs.

Meanwhile,IIT-Bombay Director Prof Devang Khakhar has urged the faculty members to desist from any angry protest over the HRD Ministry’s August 18 order on pay and allowances to them.

“It is our earnest appeal to colleagues in all IITs to desist from protests and demonstrations. All of us as directors are willing to discuss the matter further. We as part of the IIT system command some respect in society and nothing that lowers should be done,” Khakhar said on behalf of the directors of the IITs.

Directors of the IITs had met representatives of the Faculty Federation in Chennai on August 23 and submitted a memorandum,which was forwarded to the HRD Ministry,Khakhar said on Saturday.

The memorandum containing the faculty demand for pay and allowances,he said,was carefully studied by all directors and HRD officials and subsequently a meeting was held on September 2.