IIMs to follow IITs Warpath

AHMEDABAD: More than a week after the faculty members of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) went on a mass casual leave protesting against pay disparity under the Sixth Pay Commission, the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are now springing into action.

IIM-A, which has taken a lead among the IIMs, has formed a 3-member committee to highlight the pay commission recommendations. The main grudge is the percentage increase in salary for IIM faculty has been lesser than that granted to their counterparts in other government agencies. As a result the premium in the pay scales enjoyed by IITs and IIMs has been considerably reduced after the latest pay revision.

The effort by the faculty, in which other IIMs will eventually be roped in, will be to build a case for making a representation before the Union HRD ministry. The committee’s report will be first circulated and discussed among the faculty members.

“We have been following developments in IITs. Our faculty are in touch with the protesting members there. We may not follow the IIT and go on mass CL, but since the issue is same, we may take a cue from the IITs. Our tone, however, may not be as strident,” said a faculty member.

“Our insistence will be on a symmetrical treatment with faculty under UGC institutions and other government agencies,” he said. Sources said the IIMs are taking time to react because, unlike IITs, there is no central plank through which the IIMs could jointly register their protest before the ministry.

“The IIMs have not been able to react faster as there is a lack of proper mechanism to mobilise and coordinate faculty members at various IIMs. We will first discuss the issue and reach a conclusion before approaching the Centre,” a source said.

The IITs have also protested on the grounds that the government has offered 40% less remuneration than their demand. As per Govardhan Mehta committee recommending pay hike for faculty members of IITs and IIMs, assistant professors have been put in 3rd pay band while both associate professors and professors have been kept in 4th pay band.