Odisha HRD

Faculty positions at NISER Bhubaneswar and IISER Pune, IISER Kolkata and IISER Mohali

June 25th, 2008

Recently NISER (National Institute of Science Education and Research) Bhubaneswar has advertised for regular faculty positions. (The ad appears in Science.) Many prospective applicants may not have heard about NISER, Bhubaneswar; while they may have heard about the IISERs (IISER Pune and IISER Kolkata which are taking their third batch of students in 2008; IISER Mohali  which is taking its second batch of students in 2008 and IISER Bhopal and IISER Thiruvanthapuram which are taking their first batch of students in 2008). Here is a quick overview of NISER, Bhubaneswar and its status vis-a-vis the IISERs.

• The setting up of NISER Bhubaneswar was formally announced by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on August 28, 2006. In his announcement speech he said the following:

NISER will be at par with the IISER being established in other places but will operate under the umbrella of DAE. It will undertake integrated 5-year Masters courses in core and emerging branches of science to provide world-class education to students after the 10+2 stage. It can also include an integrated M.Sc.–Ph.D. after graduation level.

… When completed, I am confident that the National Institute of Science Education and Research will become a Mecca for science just as TIFR and IISc are today.

• Dr. Manmohan Singh remembered his promise and when the time came for cabinet approval of NISER he did not hesitate to have a bigger initial budget for NISER (823.19 crores) than the IISERs(500 crores). In fact the initial budget of NISER is also more than the budget of the new IITs (760 crores) and the budget of the proposed new world class central universities (720 crores).

• NISER Bhubaneswar admitted its first batch of students in 2007 and is currently (in 2008) admitting its second batch of students.

• NISER Bhubaneswar decided to not follow IISERs in its admission procedure. Unlike IISERs which take students from the extended merit list of IIT JEE, NISER decided to have its own entrance examination called NEST. But both IISERs and NISER have a interview process past the entrance examination to decide on the final list of successful applicants. 

• The scale of pay of faculty in NISER Bhubaneswar is similar to the scale of pay of faculty at IISER Pune and IISER Kolkata, as well as at the IITs. However, it seems, being a DAE funded institute, NISER Bhubaneswar has an additional update allowance of Rs 10,000/year to Rs 30,000/year depending on the scale of pay.

 

• NISER will most likely be constructed by DCSEM of DAE that constructs various DAE structures. It is expected that the quality of construction would be good and done fast.

• Now in regards to the locations, Bhubaneswar (where NISER is located) is definitely less known than Pune and Kolkata. However, if one explores a bit more deeply one may find out the advantages of Bhubaneswar, Orissa. We have elaborated on various aspects of that in the site for IIT Bhubaneswar. Here we briefly touch open on a few of those points.
  • Bhubaneswar is the only metropolitan area of the country which is currently scheduled to have a science institute (in NISER Bhubaneswar), an IIT and a world class central university. In addition a IIIT and an AIIMS-like institution is also being established in Bhubaneswar.
  • The Anil Agarwal foundation is establishing a 12,000 crore Vedanta University in Puri, about 40 kms from the location of NISER. Mr. Anil Agarwal has personally pledged $1 Billion (i.e., Rs 4000 crores) for this. More about this university in their home page, or one may listen to Anil Agarwal in this video.
  • Bhubaneswar metropolitan area has several research institutes: the Institute of Physics, the Institute of Life Sciences, the Institute of Mathematics and Applications, the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, the Central Rice Research Institute, the Central Institute of Fresh Water Aquaculture, Regional Plant Resources Center and the Regional Medical Research Center.

  We request the interested reader to read more about Bhubaneswar’s advantages for a scientist and a science student at the site for IIT Bhubaneswar. 

Entry Filed under: Cross-cutting topics