New Delhi:
Union Human Resource Minister Kapil Sibal has made it clear that the government will not give in to the demands of IIT professors who have threatened a hunger strike on September 24.
Sibal has said the system that the IIT teachers are demanding is unreasonable, and hasn't been seen anywhere in the world. He added that the government cannot allow any changes that will dilute the quality of the system.
"We are hoping that there will be nobel laureates coming out of our IIT system, but nobel laureates don't go on hunger strikes. There is a certain decorum expected from people of the calibre of these IITs," said Sibal.
An unusually combative HRD minister took on India's best brand.
On Monday, IIT professors had announced a hunger strike on the 24th of this month.
Sibal on Tuesday hoped that the IITs would rethink their decision, but said that their reasonable demands have already been met.
Ruling out any more changes, he said while the government never interferes, the pay and grade system has to be regulated since the funding comes from the central government and even the government is answerable in Parliament.
For the moment, it seems the faculty members will go ahead with the strike since they say nothing has changed.
"Faculty will do hunger strike for one day on 24th September. Will teach regular classes, won't allow academic work to suffer," said IIT Kanpur faculty Professor R Gurunath.
But what is more disappointing for the HRD minister is the way the IITs are trying to get the IIMs and other institutes on board.
Snubbing the IITs, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said it was unfair to use autonomy as an excuse when the differences are clearly over monetary issues, which he said is ironical since this may one of the only areas where the government has kept even austerity at bay.