The government this week revised the pay scales of the faculty at the IITs, IIMs and other central universities, but immediately drew a flak from the academia. The teachers at the IITs have decided to send a memorandum to the ministry of human resource development, making their objections clear.

SS Murthy, professor of electrical engineering at IIT Delhi told FE, ?The IIT faculty is feeling a general resentment towards the ?revision of pay? announced as salary levels are lower than all our recommendations. IIT directors about a year ago made recommendations on salary to the government which has been disregarded. There has been a meeting of IIT faculty today and tomorrow the faculty federation will send a memorandum to the MHRD stating exactly what they would like to see changed in the pay scales?.

The HRD ministry released its ?Revision of pay of teaching and other Staff in Centrally Funded Technical Institutions ? on Tuesday. The revision follows the 6th Pay Commission award for central government employees

Devi Singh, Director, IIM Lucknow, said, ?While overall there is discontentment with the pay scales, the main problem is at the Assistant Professor level whose qualifications are a PhD and three years experience and IIMs desired a Pay band 4 (PB 4) which has a range from Rs 37,000 to Rs 67,000 but was finally given the UGC Pay band 3 (PB 3) level?.

The ministry in its ?notice? states the new scales will encourage fresh PhDs to join the teaching system. ?At least 10% of the total faculty strength should be recruited at this level of Lecturer-cum-Post Doctoral Fellow?, but then adds, ?Relaxation in respect of educational qualifications could be given up to 25% of total Lecturers recruited?.

The notice also prescribed ?accelerated promotional benefits? for assistant professors and associate professors at National Institute of Technology, Indian School of Mines University, Indian Institutes of Information Technology and School of Planning and Architecture while ?maintaining the UGC pay structure and designations.

Media reports on Wednesday had said that IIT faculty specifically across the older IITs lead by IIT Kharagpur would go on ?casual leave? on Friday, August 21 to protest the pay bands announced. When contacted, D Acharya Director, IIT Kharagpur declined from commenting.

UB Desai, director of IIT Hyderabad confirmed that with the existing four to five faculty it would be classes as usual for them and on principle he is not supportive of such type of ?casual leave that would disrupt academic activity?.

The pay of Directors has been fixed at Rs 80,000 per month at IITs, IIms, IISc Bangalore, IISERs, and NITIE Mumbai. The notice went on to say that, ?MHRD will devise suitable academic criteria for those institutions which may like to change over to a four-tier flexible faculty structure?.