Giving a big boost to the IITs plan to hire teachers from abroad, the Home Ministry has relaxed the income criteria for grant of employment visa to them.
With this, IITs can hire faculties from abroad with a salary of USD 14000 per annum as per the revised norms. Earlier, visa was not allowed to those who would get a salary of less than USD 25,000 per annum.
"We have already informed the IITs about the relaxation in norms," said an HRD Ministry official, adding the new norms would help these institutes tide over the faculty shortage to an extent.
However, the relaxation will be given for two years up to December 31, 2015 and it will be reviewed taking into account the progress in the intake of foreign faculty.
While providing the relaxation, the Home Ministry has also made it clear that norms will be available only for those recruited as teaching faculty and not for exclusive research positions in strategic areas or in strategic institutions.
The National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and central universities would also be benefited from this, the official said.
IITs, which face up to 30 per cent faculty shortage are willing to recruit foreign nationals on contract basis for posts of assistant professors or associate professors.
The IIT council had a couple of years ago given the go-ahead for inducting foreign teachers up to 10 per cent of the total faculty strength.
The new norms would, however, not be available to foreign nationals coming from countries such as China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Sudan, he said.
On the issue of recent reports of foreign students admitted to IIT Kanpur facing problems in local police stations at the time of registration, the official said they have taken up the matter with the highest level in Uttar Pradesh administration and have sought Home Ministry's intervention.
As per rule, foreign students are required to get themselves registered at the local police station within a fortnight of arrival.
