Vishal Rana / Hamirpur

The faculty staff recruitment process at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Hamirpur has become a subject of intense debate. The questions raised are significant, especially regarding the criteria set for filling the positions of Assistant Professors at the institution. The national-level discussion ensued after it came to light that candidates with a Ph.D. from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) would receive a maximum of 25 points, whereas those with a Ph.D. from NITs and other national-level institutions would be awarded fewer points. This disparity not only raises concerns among the applicants but also questions the fairness of evaluating premier institutions under this criterion.

The issue was brought to attention by Professor Ramgopal Rao, former director of IIT Delhi and current chancellor of BITS Pilani campus, who tweeted about the matter. This triggered debates among teaching faculty at various NITs and IITs across the country. The candidates were surprised to find that the number of positions for each category was not explicitly mentioned in the recruitment advertisement, leading to confusion among the applicants. Consequently, many individuals applied based on their qualifications, only to later realize that there were no vacant positions in their respective categories. In contrast, the usual practice involves allocating a specific number of posts for different categories like SC, ST, OBC, General, and EWS candidates, enabling applicants to apply accordingly.

The recruitment process for the positions of Assistant Professor Grade 2 (Level-10) for 39 posts, Assistant Professor Grade 1 (Level-11) for 6 posts, and Assistant Professor Grade 2 (Level-12) for 17 posts in various departments such as Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electronics and Communication, Computer Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Architecture, Mathematics, Scientific Computing, Physics, Photonics Science, Chemistry, Humanities and Social Sciences, Management Studies, and Energy Studies, attracted numerous applicants who paid a fee of INR 1500 each to apply. However, the lack of clarity regarding the number of available posts in different categories resulted in applicants wasting time, money, and effort on preparing for the tests and interviews.

Former officiating Registrar Rajeshwar Banshtu  had earlier addressed the issue, stating that there were three categories: “Not Found Eligible” (candidates who applied but did not meet all criteria), “Eligible but Not Shortlisted” (candidates who were eligible but did not make it to the merit list), and “Shortlisted” (candidates invited for interviews). Other institutions have the autonomy to determine their own criteria, while NIT Hamirpur has faced criticism for its recruitment process. Additionally, the institution’s reputation was tarnished when its former director, Vinod Yadav, was suspended due to irregularities in the recruitment process. However, the new director, Heeramani Suryavanshi, has not taken any action regarding the fact-finding report on the alleged malpractices. He said that he had not find any fact finding report on this issue.

The current debate has brought into focus the seriousness with which NIT Hamirpur’s administration addresses such issues and how it values transparency and fairness in its recruitment procedures. It is essential for premier educational institutions to set high standards in their practices to maintain their reputation and credibility among aspiring candidates and the academic community at large.