In a bid to end the deadlock with the protesting IIT faculty, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal is expected to soften his stance and offer a more “flexible” interpretation of the government’s pay order notification when he meets them tomorrow.

Under this:

• The Ministry is expected to announce that the Cabinet has agreed to give a Performance Related Incentive Scheme (PRIS) for Centrally funded institutes, including IITs, that will augment the monthly pay.

• On the key demand by the All India IIT Faculty Federation that the contract-based entry level faculty position be regularised, the Ministry is expected to propose that this contract can be extended or shortened depending on the performance. And the IIT Board would have the powers to regularise these contracts.

• On the notification fixing percentage of faculty by rank — for example, 10% of total faculty to be hired at Assistant Professor or entry level — the Ministry is expected to say that this is merely “advisory...to be observed as an internal check.” And that the Board’s call will be the final one.

• On the 40% cap on professors eligible for promotion, the Ministry is expected to argue that this is a “purely internal check” meant to distinguish between a high-performing and a low-performing professor. And that this 40% cap can be re-visited once IIT Boards devise a criteria for gauging excellence. The Ministry will propose that once this 40% ceiling has been reached, Boards will be free to review this limit.

... contd.