Lack of Financial Model, Absence of Administrative Autonomy Hampering Growth of IITs: Former IIT Delhi Director

“A lack of financial model and the total absence of administrative autonomy are severely hampering the growth of IITs. A proper financial model is needed if we want to scale up the existing IITS,” says V Ramgopal Rao, former director of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. Sharing insights to make IITs successful, he added that creating more IITs can’t be a solution always.

Talking about the lack of proper financial model at IIT, he said, “IITs receive generous grants is a myth. A major part of the grants (roughly 85 per cent at IIT Delhi) goes for payment of salaries, pensions and maintenance.” The former director shared the tips through social media platform, Twitter.

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There is absolute academic autonomy with senate being the supreme body for making all policy decisions related to academics, added Rao. Further, the admission process is 100 per cent transparent and equitable at all levels, he said.

“Whether it’s JEE Advanced or GATE, despite all the complaints about them not being perfect, they definitely have served the system well and are foolproof to any kind of external or internal tampering. Systems got corrected and evolved whenever issues were found. Without them, in India, the admission proces in these institutions would have collapsed by now.” Rao said.

On his post he wrote, “As the country is celebrating 75 years of India’s Independence and the 75th Independence Day, let’s take a moment to identify the four reasons that made IITs the mast recognized and the trusted brand all over the world. Excellence is a journey, not a destination. What does it take to make an IIT kind of an Institution so we can build more institutions like that? What next for IITS? After my term as the Director, IIT Delhi ended in Feb 2022, besides my teaching and research commitments at IIT Delhi, I have also been generous with my time in advising many institutions In India and abroad on Institutional reforms. Here are some pointers based on IITs.”

The former director further added that the IITs have an impregnable faculty selection process. “Every faculty selection in every department goes through all the faculty in the department. No dean or director can do much if the department rejects an application,” he said. Explaining the recruitment process, he said there are three stages to recruitment, with the first two stages being entirely carried out within the department.

“Unfortunately, at times, we lose out on good candidates because of rigid attitudes, but the fact of the matter is, no bad candidate gets in. Unlike universities where a bad VC can play havoc with faculty recruitments, in older ITS, it is unlikely that it can happen,” he added.

He further went on that pre-approved faculty and staff positions are based on the number of students. For every 10 students, faculty position is pre-approved and the boards have the power to decide on the total strength of faculty. “It’s also a flexible cadre without a fixed number at positions at any level. Without these pre-approved positions and the flexible cadre systems in place, can tell you, is worin have crumbled by now waiting for ministry approvals for recruitment and promotions,” he said.

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