Row over Appointment of Foreign Faculty at IIT
In a fresh move, Home Ministry has laid a stay on appointments of 
IIT Faculty of foreign origin by Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. The step was taken in spite of HRD ministry's approval for globalizing faculty at the IITs. Now after the ball turning down to Home Ministry's court, the IITs, India's premier engineering schools, have a longer wait to hire foreign teachers. The move taken for recruitment of IIT Faculty will be of no use even for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders. As per the Indian Constitution, no citizen can hold Indian citizenship and citizenship of a foreign country simultaneously. This is the reason, why Government of India grants Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) commonly known as ‘dual citizenship'.
According to Home Ministry, hiring even OCI card holders - as IIT, Delhi, was against the Citizenship Act of 1955, and in the absence of a special government order things might turn difficult.
The current move might prove as a setback for IIT Delhi, as this might hamper the growth of various other IITs. On the other hand, faculty from overseas bears a negative image of Indian bureaucracy and the current ruling might compel them to think again. According to a senior official, in this scenario the teachers will think twice before opting for Indian IIT.
All these concerns were raised at a recent meeting, held between IIT directors and senior HRD ministry officials. However, to materialize the important move of appointment of foreign faculty by HRD ministry, it now needs an approval from Home Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The proposal for recruitment of foreign faculty at IIT on a permanent basis was made in September 2010. Indian Institute of Technology Council-highest decision making body of the IITs - headed by HRD minister Kapil Sibal had given a go-ahead to institutes and fill up to 10 % of their permanent teaching posts with foreign faculty.
However in early 2011, the Ministry of External Affairs raised objections and refused any sort of liberalization with regards to visa norms and allow foreigners to hold permanent jobs in India. The ministry on the other hand, had given permission for hiring faculty on a five-year contract which could later be renewed.
Source: Prachi Srivastava (Shiksha Team)
Date: 1st July, 2011
