IIM-Calcutta professors may be assessed for hikes

Up for debate: teachers' evaluation at Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. If a proposal from the ministry of human resource and development is accepted by the elite B-school, the institute will have to put in place a system to measure the performance of professors to implement payhikes

Pay and performance have been linked in an MHRD draft sent to the institute that contains the new payscale stipulations after the Sixth Pay Commission. The document suggests that the grade pay the basic salary for each professor should be Rs 10,500 at the start of their careers. After six years in service, the pay should be increased to Rs 12,000. "But the ministry has suggested that the increased pay will be given to only 40% of the professors. Now, the question is how the institute will select this 40%. Hence, an evaluation will have to be done," said one of the institute officials.

Shekhar Chaudhuri, the director of IIM-C, said, "Though there is a proposal from the ministry, we still have not taken a decision to implement it. The idea of evaluating professors is still at a very nascent stage."

The MHRD has also suggested that apart from teaching, the institute should also give enough importance to research while evaluating professors. "Till now, we haven't taken a definite decision. There will be several parameters for evaluation if the ministry decision is finally implemented," added a senior faculty member.

The parameters that might be considered are: research by professors, papers published in journals, participation in both national and international seminars, innovative teaching methods in the classroom, administrative responsibilites shouldered by professors as well as seniority.

"If the board of governors decides to give a go-ahead to the ministry's proposal, we will have to develop a proper mechanism to implement the decision. At this moment, it is too early to speak any further on the matter," Chaudhuri said.

Anindya Sen, senior professor and former dean of the institute, sounded concerned. "The faculty fears that if the recommendations are implemented, they might create certain discrepancies and lead to dissatisfaction among the professors. The main worry is the fairness of the entire evaluation process. Till a transparent and acceptable evaluation procedure is put in place, some anxiety will always remain."

The opinion of students will also find a place in the evaluation process, as they are an integral part of the system. Till now, there is no such system of evaluation of IIM professors.

The IIMs across the country are already at loggerheads with MHRD over several recommendations, which they feel are unfair. The most hotly debated issues are: if assistant professors should be placed in pay band 4 and whether there should be a 40% cap on professors who can get Rs 12,000 as grade pay after six years.
Source : Times of India.