While the economic slowdown has meant job losses and pay cuts,the one employment avenue that has seen a surge is the teaching profession. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been inundated with applications from foreign returned Indians,NRIs,PIOs and academics based abroad,expressing their interest in teaching in Indian varsities. A surprised UGC is putting together a committee comprising four-five vice-chancellors to work out a way to get the best of the applicants in the fray. The committee will be in place in less than a week,says UGC Chairman S K Thorat. We have received hundreds of applications expressing interest in taking up teaching assignments in India. Applicants range from NRIs,PIOs with foreign degrees to fresh PhD scholars. Most applications have come for the 15 new central varsities that will start operation this year. Accordingly,we will be instituting a committee within a week to help us process these applications and work out a criteria for enabling and facilitating this interesting development, he said. He said this will not be difficult as there is already precedence in IIT directors interviewing academics abroad to teach in their institutes. Foreign academics are also applying to join the six new IITs established last year. This is good news for the academic fraternity and other stakeholders who have been battling a massive faculty shortage. At least 25-30 per cent faculty vacancies are estimated in technical institutes alone according to studies that have recommended huge salary and non-salary incentives to attract and retain good faculty. With plans for 370 new colleges and universities set to roll out,the demand for faculty will increase. While varsities have been seeking the services of academics based abroad,huge salary variations have come in the way. With the Sixth Pay Commission offering a better deal to the teaching community and the government expected to create an enabling environment for researchers and academics,the trend is changing.
