IITs to Enrol Select Faculty Members in a 2-Year Training Program for Directorship Roles

Promising faculty members of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) may be made to undertake a structured leadership development programme, which will be aimed at grooming them for future leadership roles, especially directorships. The proposed scheme, which is at the stage of discussion/emergency within the government, intends to raise a deep pool of academically accomplished and institutionally trained leaders of India's top engineering institutions.

It is learnt from the sources that the programme will run for two years and will concentrate on the development of leadership, governance, and administrative skills of outstanding faculty members, besides their academic expertise.

IIT Bombay to Anchor the Programme

IIT Bombay is the institution that has been given the responsibility of preparing the leadership training plan and carrying it out. All the IITs will be asked to send the most academically and research-wise competent faculty members as candidates for the leadership training programme.

To strengthen the management and leadership components, support from the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) may also be sought, particularly for modules related to organisational leadership, governance, and strategic decision-making. Under the current proposal, around 300-350 faculty members across IITs are expected to be trained through this initiative. Participants will be mentored over a two-year period, with the programme structured around three one-week modules each year.

Officials said that a draft outlining the programme structure and broad eligibility criteria has already been prepared.

Proposed Programme Structure

Selection criteria: Academic Excellence and Leadership Mindset

Faculty members will be chosen through a mix of academic performance and leadership potential. The suggested two-fold criteria are:

• Excellent academic and research credentials
• Teaching and mentorship style that puts students at the center
• Strategic thinking capacity
• Collaborative and inclusive leadership skills

The goal is to find those faculty members who are not only top in their research and teaching but also capable of handling the most complex institutional duties.

Focus on Behavioural, Functional and Domain Skills

The curriculum will focus on a balanced mix of competencies required to run large academic institutions effectively.

Officials said that the goal is to create both the ability of academic leadership as well as administrative skills among the participants.

Why Leadership Grooming Matters for IITs

The director of an IIT is the primary academic and executive authority of the institute, thus responsible for administration, academic planning, discipline, and long-term institutional vision. Directors are assisted by deans and department heads; nevertheless, they have the final say in determining research priorities, student outcomes, and global rankings.

At present, the appointment of IIT directors is done through a multi-stage selection process, which involves public advertisement, evaluation by a Search-cum-Selection Committee, and the final approval of the President of India, who is the visitor to the IITs. The tenure of appointment is generally five years or up to the age of 70, whichever is earlier.