| Font Size |
1,500 faculty would be handpicked from institutes across India as part of the faculty development project, the proposal says. The ministry estimates the cost of sponsorship at between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 20 lakh per individual. Beneficiaries would be required to return to India to teach.
“The idea is that the government invests in improving and developing the faculty base on the condition that on completion of studies, this faculty must return to India and teach in institutes here. That way not only will we be able to address the problem of faculty shortage but also bring about an academic improvement”, said an official.
The government also intends to push forward in the 12th Plan its effort to set up centres of excellence for faculty development, the official added.
New IITs and IIMs, 14 new central universities, NITs, model schools and Kendriya Vidyalayas were sanctioned under the UPA-I government, but there was no commensurate expansion of faculty. Out of a sanctioned 16,600 teaching posts in central universities, as many as 6,529 — including those of 1,221 professors, 2,105 associate professors and 3,008 assistant professors — are currently vacant.
A ministry-backed task force reported a shortage of 3.8 lakh teachers in the higher education system. “...This comes to over 50 per cent, which is critical. It is likely to grow to 13 lakh in the next 8 to 10 years”, it said.
The University Grants Commission has repeatedly asked universities to fill vacancies. The age of superannuation of teachers has been raised to 65 to arrest dwindling numbers.
Discuss this story on expressindia forums
|
|
I have seen several faculty who even after getting selected by their universities for such opportunities abroad, declined to take up the offer because they did not want to part with their families. This is truer of women faculty who have daughters in their teens. Returning shortly after landing in the foreign lab because home-sickness is another story.
I think they should also be sent for doing their PhD again. India is simply a failed state, nothing can be done for her.
Govt says, "1,500 faculty would be handpicked from institutes across India as part of the faculty development project, the proposal says". I am sure the race to be in that list has already started among those who are in the good book of the authority and support all whims, illegal activities and corruption by it OR those have powerful political connections. But I am sure no study, no training, no amount of foreign tours can make any dishonest moron into an honest genius! But who will not like to have a state sponsored foreign stay for few months/years! It is more surprising that so many excellent candidates with extensive foreign training never get even interview calls if s/he does not have proper connection. On top of that, we have so many unproductive faculties with extensive and impressive track record while working abroad- yet they are as good as useless and corrupt as others. The rot is far deeper than our HRD minister is ready to accept.
Let teaching faculty do some research in India on issues for the masses. Do not spend scarce resources to build another corruption castle. Indian teching faculty is the worst in doing any worthwhile research on issues facing Indian Masses.