New Delhi: On Wednesday i.e. on August 18, 2010, the Lok Sabha was informed that India’s leading institutes like Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are facing a faculty crisis with nearly one-third of the posts vacant.
Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal in his written reply to Lok Sabha has mentioned that around 35 percent posts are vacant in the central universities, 25 percent in the IIMs, 33.33 percent in the National Institute of Technology and 35.1 percent in other central education institutions coming up under the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry. However, the minister denied any decision to start an Indian Education Service to meet to the shortage.
Furthermore, Mr Sibal also said that there is no decision of the government for the creation of the Indian Education Service. He added that although the National Education Policy, 1986, provides for the establishment of Indian Education Services as an all-India service, however, as there was no consensus among the state governments, it could not be established.
However, he mentioned that several long-term measures have also been initiated for attracting young people to opt for teaching career. These include enhancement in fellowships and attractive start-up grants in various disciplines. Apart from that, short-term measures like raising the retirement age in teaching posts from 62 to 65 years and enhancement in salaries and other benefits for teachers are being taken by the government.
