PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
 

7.1 Personnel Policy

7.1.1 Laying down a Clear Personnel Policy

During our visits to IITs, a common complaint voiced was that there is no clear-cut enunciation of responsibilities and duties expected of the employees and that it was necessary to lay down in clear terms personnel policies and circulate them among the employees. As an example it was stated that there are many in the staff holding higher positions who are not given higher levels of responsibilities commensurate to their status. The Unions made the point that there is improper and uneven distribution of work leading often to the loss of interest among the employees, and reduced efficiency. It can ultimately result in lack of confidence in the authority and in the Insitution as a whole.

Some Unions pointed out to us that in much the same manner as the faculty go abroad in order to refurbish themselves, staff should be given opportunity for training and updating their skills. Whilst the anology is fallacious we agree that each IIT must have well laid-out plans to train and retrain their staff and adequately support them to adjust quickly to the demands of newer ways of working and of higher productivity as well as help career progression inside or outside the Institute whenever opportunity offers.

A major grievance of the employees is shortage of housing on the campus. IITs now have a policy of hundred per cent housing for the faculty and 50 per cent for the non-faculty. Even the commitment of fifty percent housing for non-faculty is not fulfilled. Housing is a difficult problem but the IITs have to progress towards their target of 100 percent for faculty and 50 per cent for non-faculty by employing various measures such as acquire on rental basis a number of equivalent houses, lease those houses by themselves and let it to the employees on the payment of 10 per cent of the salary; IITs also can allow and assist private builders to build houses on their own which should be leased by the IIT to let it out to employees.

We have suggested introduction of computers and other modern means of management. IITs should help the staff for a smooth transition so that the staff can transfer their abilities and skills from the "ledger and voucher" level to one "operating computers and other modern office instruments".

Laying down a clear-cut personnel policy both for faculty and non- faculty and making it available to all employees are essential for a better functioning of the IITs. IITs must update from time to time these policies.

Faculty responsibilities should include;

- understanding and administering of the policies of the IIT;

- establishing good relations with the employees;

- recognising work well-done and being concerned with the development of the capabilities of those working with them.

These should be regarded as obligatory and inherent responsibilities of all senior people.

We do not feel that a mere personal promotion, as it now obtains, can really instil in employees the joy of job-satisfaction. IITs initially did not make much progress in training 'on-the-job'. No thought was then given for a ladder of promotion but now some thought has been given in the form of a personal promotion. Our recommendation, however, is to aim at job-satisfaction and insist on performance at a higher level of efficiency rather than a mere award of a higher salary. If everybody by efflux of time gets promotion and no special effort is needed, the system ceases to stimulate anyone.

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We noted that delay in making temporary appointments permanent, lack of social amenities and such other factors had lead to explosive situation from time to time in one IIT or another. While no one can prevent altogether the entry of politics into an IIT there is a need to look into grievances in advance and prevent entry of political pressure. Further, IITs' personnel policies should be such as to enthuse group-loyalty to the values and ideals for which the Institutes of Technology stand.

7.1.2 Improve Personnel Management Practices

IITs have a large staff particularly non-faculty who man the supportive services. Healthy personnel management practices in respect of this group is, therefore,

- a sense of accountability;

-an urge for development of their career useful to the IIT; and

- a commitment of discipline at all time to put forth their best.

We have already emphasised that the IITs have a programme for career- management with a view to improving efficiency, instil a value system for hard work, and provide them with opportunities for improvement, and upgrading their overall skill and efficiency but the IITs must evolve a good grievances settlement procedure.

We heard from the Employees' Unions that excellence in the IITs is possible if IIT managements are kind and generous to the employees and parity is maintained with faculty in the matter of awarding benefits by the IIT administration. The non-academic staff felt that they are discriminated against and neglected in respect of their career- planning. The academic staff on the other hand felt that cooperation from the employees is definitely wanting and they need to participate in the activities of the IITs more actively and enthusiastically.

To ensure such collective participation the first step is to lay down a clear and unambiguous procedure for mitigating legitimate grievances of individuals and effectively sort out the problems. Such procedure will, therefore, include;

- encouraging employees to discuss their work situation and problems with their immediate supervisors;

- expect supervisors to provide a supportive environment;

- fostering open communication related to their work-life;

- encouragement to resolve work-problems and grievances at the unit level;

-whenever a problem arises at the unit level individuals should feel free to discuss it with the next higher supervisor including and up to the Departmental Head or Personnel Manager and his designated colleagues;

- it should be open to individuals who do not feel that the matter has been resolved to ask for a formal enquiry. A senior person (say the Deputy Director) should attempt to resolve the matter within a specified time and give his report to the Director.

Once a formal enquiry starts, the attempt should be to resolve the issue within a limited time period. We would suggest that it should be possible to resolve issues within a month or so. If they are not resolved they should be referred to the next higher step within a month. If this cannot be followed then the aggrieved employee must be informed in writing and the Director kept informed. Every collective grievance has to be resolved with the respective representative groups by the management and there must be a clear procedure evolved.

We suggest that all decisions taken should be recorded in writing and given to the concerned administration or departmental head as well as the aggrieved party. Evolving sound personnel practices with a view to arrive at solutions will promote cooperation among all employees which we think is essential for the sound growth of the IITs.

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7.1.3 Train Key Personnel in Management Areas

The IITs need to train their personnel, including the Director in modern management principles and practices so that they are able to;

- assess the cost effectiveness of their decisions;

- plan educational programmes other than the standard courses;

- acquire management skills such as problem-solving, team- building;

- instal a task-oriented system with programmed activities backed by an adequate information and monitoring system;

- projectise outside assignments from industry within time and cost boundaries;

- introduce more efficient equipment and systems in office administration.

IITs must provide an opportunity for training to their employees, to adapt to the changing needs. Retraining of technicians in computer and sophisticated instruments has become essential. There is a need for IITs to examine if the rules and regulations adopted by them earlier are able now to meet the objective of the Institution. Similarly several supporting functions like projects, symposium etc. could be organised in a better way provided the approach is one of 'management' rather than of 'administration'.

Much of the demand for representations on the Board or Senate etc. arises out of lack of participation in the decision making process by the employees, students, etc. We have recommended encouragement of participation in all decision-making processes. All employees/students must be a part of the process of arriving at decisions that affect their lives. It is this participatory ethics, as against rule by Statutes and preordained solutions, which will impart a new vitality to the working atmosphere of the IITs.

7.2 Other Services

Some of the IITs have nearly six times as many employees as the number of faculty. These employees aspire and wish to know the kind of future they could look forward to irrespective of the job they are doing. The broad categories of the employees are workshop staff, supporting staff-both technical and non-technical, administrative staff, clerical staff, peons/security guards etc. IITs were made responsible for their own water supply, electricity supply, drainage, road-construction, maintenance of buildings, hostels, gardens and so on. For all these purposes they required staff and numerically such staff recruited by them became larger than their faculty. This staff, of course, was necessary for the running and maintenance of workshops, laboratories-both teaching and research, for support facilities such as instrumentation, glass blowing, special fabrication, graphic arts and so on. They also needed supporting staff for library, academic records and for examination etc. But over a number of years attention was not paid to effective methods for containing the number and helping the existing ones to function more efficiently. It is clearly not possible to provide adequate career paths for such large number within the IIT. This is the biggest problem the IITs have today and time and again it has erupted disturbing the system.

In addition, they have. a problem with the mess employees working in the Halls of Residences (or hostels) who are not considered, as the employees of the Institute but of the Hall or the Hostel. They have been gradually conceded all the facilities of the IIT employees yet they are not satisfied. We hope the Administrative Staff Structure Committee of the IIT Council will recommend solution to these problems.

We however, recommend meanwhile that as a matter of policy, IITs should not fill-up the vacancies arising unless they make a thorough study of the problems and arrive at a total solution. This study may be undertaken by the Council through a Committee or Consultants specifically appointed for this purpose.

It may be advisable in future to get as many technical staff as possible on deputation from organisations outside. This will at least obviate the disgruntlement arising out of lack of promotional opportunities. IITs by themselves can but create very limited promotional opportunities and, therefore, should resort more and more to contract appointments.

Similarly, it may be advisable as far the non-technical staff is concerned, to create a few selection grades rather than personal promotions with higher designations. Some positions of tradesmen, e.g. drivers and

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mechanics; medical and hostel employees or catering personnel can be hired on contract. A number of posts arising out of retirement should be given to the students for campus work on payment. This way they would support the students to earn extra money especially those who do not get any scholarships. Cutting down permanent staff on the Institute's role while at the same time taking steps to train the existing staff, improving their skill and efficiency would considerably improve the overall health of the IITs.

Some of the problems now perceived may have their roots in political and other situations outside the control of the IITs. The support of the Government would be necessary to contain or resolve some of these problems which may be beyond the control of the IITs.

7.2.1 Effective Maintenance, Up-keep and Repair of Equipment

IITs have a number of technical staff as instrument Mechanics. In Para 5.1.2 we have discussed about funds needed for removing instrument obsolescence. There is a need for a strong working Central Instrumentation Division centrally located in each IIT so that all instruments could be repaired. Such a division should also stock sufficient spare parts. This is an important and serious matter and we feel that equipment repaired and reconditioned saves money and time entailed in the purchase of new equipment. It is necessary that these personnel are given encouragement and status not as mere Mechanics but at a proper level so that they could put forth their best to solve the instrument and equipment maintenance problems which is a big handicap for the IITs.

7.2.2 Core Staff for Sponsored Projects

In Para 4.4.7 we mentioned the pestering problem of staff engaged for sponsored projects who have continued to linger on from project to project. This was compounded further by some IITs regularising some of such staff as Institute staff, even though Institute requirements did not warrant such addition. However, the human problem of these project staff in the campus still need resolution at least for the future.

We suggest that:

- the IIT Management should take extra care in future while employing project personnel. They should continue to help the existing ones by increasing their technical competence in an area where jobs are available and help them move out.

- IITs should actively convass with those who sponsored the projects to absorb the competent technical staff who worked on their projects and would be useful to them to implement the solutions arrived at the IIT through the project.

- IITs should build up a core of higher qualified scientific staff to work on various mission-oriented programmes which Departments like Defence Research, Space, Atomic Energy, Electronics etc. are regularly sponsoring. These staff are not to substitute faculty duties in laboratories. These cadres should have career-opportunities equal to faculty.

- the core strength in future should be determined strictly related to the needs and not as a social measure of employment. If any extra staff is employed to cover a situation in future their services must be terminated at the end of a project and they should not be continued in another job.

- the proposed Industrial Foundation should give priority to competent and qualified persons available at present in the IITs.

SUMMARY

There is a need for the IITs to have clear-cut personnel policies which include provision for career development, in-service training for vertical, and horizontal mobility and enhancement of skills. (Para 7.1.1)

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It is recommended that IITs improve their personnel management practices especially with regard to non-faculty employees.

These include:

- method of recruitment;

- method of evaluating them for purpose of career development and promotion against a well set visible promotion policy;

- methods of rewarding and punishing them;

- a sound grievance procedure. (Para 7.1.2)

In handling of the affairs of the institute, the IITs have to shift their perception from one of administration to one of management. For this purpose it is necessary that all key personnel should have exposure to management training. (Para 7.1.3)

There is a need to increasingly resort to contracting for services rather than building-up permanent staff establishments. Gradually such an approach would help in reducing the burdens of administration and enabling the IIT to devote more time and energy to its primary functions. Students can also be given the opportunity to earn by doing some of the campus work part-time. (Para 7.2)

Some of the problems faced in the IITs in relation to deficiencies noticed in work-ethos and discipline have their roots in the external environment for which the IITs cannot be faulted. (Para 7.2)

Staff for instrumentation, maintenance, upkeep and repair of equipment should be given every encouragement and status to ensure the effective maintenance and use of high cost equipment and a central division be created in each IIT for this purpose. (Para 7.2.1)

The Committee recommends that IITs should have a core of competent scientific staff on permanent basis with all service benefits for sponsored projects. Expenses on account of the core staff should be suitably covered as overheads, charged to the projects. Other temporary staff recruited for a project must be terminated at the end of the project. (Para 7.2.2)