Attractive proposals to... PhDs !

Now this will surely attract more students to take research as their career.

The Indian National Science Academy (INSA) and Indian Academy of Sciences (IAS) has recently submitted several proposals to the Planning Commission to award attractive packages to young researchers including grants worth Rs.2-10 lakh for research and special incentives for participating in international conferences and other scientific research programmes. The proposal states: ''In the current market-driven globalised economy, the pay packet and working condition have to be competitive to attract talented persons to teaching and or for research. The basic salaries need to be at least doubled at all levels. To make the university jobs fully attractive, it is crucial that other conditions like housing and better facilities or environment at the place of work to better quality of life, are also provided.'' For attracting more young PhD holders for research in Science, the report proposes that ''young, bright PhDs should be given faculty positions with adequate start-up grants soon after their obtaining the PhD to enable them to start productive teaching and research career at an early and more creative age. All new faculty members should be provided a start-up grant of at least Rs.10 lakh for faculty in experimental sciences and Rs.2 lakh in theoretical sciences.''
The proposal report has been jointly prepared by INSA president R A Mashelkar and IAS president T V Ramakrishnan.
The report also focuses on the relaxation for young lecturers in the teaching hours to ensure that they spend more time in research work.
The report states: ''During the first two years, the teaching hours of first-time appointees at the lecturer level should not be more than 75% of the stipulated load to enable them to get used to the teaching system and also have sufficient time to set up their research activities.''

Now the need is to approve all these proposals, if Govt really wants to improve level of Indian science.