India-US ties are set to move to the transformative level during President Barack Obama's India visit. The Indian education ministry is set to launch government sponsored-programme to help students across the streams get exposure to the best of faculties from abroad. U.S. had agreed to India's proposal to invite and host up to 1,000 American academicians every year to teach in India under the Global Initiative for Academic Networks (GIAN) initiative taken during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the U.S. last year. International academicians could be paid as high as $ 12,000 for a 20-days teaching session. The academicians would teach in centrally-funded educational bodies like IITs and central universities and in institutes with 'A' grade, the details of which are being finalized before President Obama's visit to India.
"Emphasis is being laid on offering a good package so as to attract the best faculties," said an official in the HRD Ministry. "$ 8000 is being proposed for 15 days session and $ 12000 for 20 days,” official added. The Global Initiative for Academics Network (GIAN) aims at closer academic collaboration across institutes from India and the U.S. Names of eminent scholars and academicians would be sent to the respective institutes for evaluation by a peer group. It will then go to different sectional committees according to the streams comprising professors and other experts. The final approval will be given by the streams, officials said.
It is estimated that a comprehensive package including remuneration as well as accommodation for a faculty member coming to India would come close to Rs. 8 lakhs per semester. Institutes will largely be free to invite faculty members from across universities and colleges but desired checks and balances will also be built in to assure that academics of repute are invited. GIAN's contours are likely to be announced on the Republic Day during President Obama’s visit to India.
"The President (Obama) welcomed India's proposal to establish GIAN under which India would invite and host up to 1,000 American academics each year to teach in centrally- recognized Indian universities, at their convenience," the India-US joint statement said after the Obama-Modi meeting in Washington.
This collaboration of academics of India and the U.S. apart from GIAN are also working on a proposal to facilitate a mentoring arrangement for one of the IITs. The ministry aims to finalize the details before Obama arrives here on January 25 so that India can take the proposal ahead.