IITs should recruit doctoral research students: Minister

Chennai, Jul 31 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development D Purandeswari today suggested that IITs could recruit students who were on the verge of completing of their doctoral research, either in India or abroad, to overcome faculty shortage.

Addressing the Golden Jubilee celebrations of IIT Madras here, she said once the candidates were earmarked as potential faculty members of IIT, they could be supported to continue their post-doctoral research at any premier institution of their choice.

She said the IIT Madras was contributing a large number of PhDs and M Techs under quality improvement programme to the teaching fraternity of the country, but this was not enough. For a country of this size, this effort of training teachers should be of a magnitude higher than the present, she opined.

Ms Purandeswari said the IITs could also consider providing a special package to those faculty members who were retiring at the age of 65 years, as well as eminent scientists retiring at the age of 60 years from CSIR, DRDO laboratories and some private corporations.

Similarly, a private initiative could be undertaken to compile the data of potential young candidates available abroad for faculty positions in IITs, she added.

Besides, IITs could consider having as adjunct/associate faculty, qualified individuals working in Research and Development establishments of the industry as well as faculty members of Indian origin working in American and European universities, she suggested.

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