IISc faces protests, controversy over strict new attendance and work-hour rules

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has sparked widespread debate on campus after its Department of Electronic Systems Engineering (ESE) introduced a new attendance and parking policy earlier this month.

The revised rules apply to all faculty, staff, and students, introducing stricter monitoring of working hours and campus presence.

Under the policy, faculty and staff must log 40 working hours a week, while MTech and first-year PhD students are expected to spend at least 50 hours on campus.

Senior PhD researchers are required to align their schedules with their supervisors, often amounting to 70–80 hours weekly.

Access to central research facilities such as the National Nanofabrication Centre (NNFC) and the Microscopy Facility will now require separate time logs, and any remote work must receive written approval.

Many students have voiced concern, arguing that the policy values attendance over academic creativity.

“It feels like a surveillance system,” said one research scholar, expressing frustration over what they see as an unnecessary administrative burden.

Institute officials, however, defend the move. They say the rules are designed to promote “transparency, discipline, and accountability” and to ensure consistent use of institutional resources.

Critics within and outside IISc argue that the approach reflects a growing shift in academia toward corporate-style management, emphasizing logged hours over research outcomes.

Some education experts warn that such practices could undermine innovation by measuring productivity through time rather than ideas.

Students have also raised concerns about the psychological impact of the change. “When every hour must be accounted for, rest becomes guilt,” said a second-year PhD scholar.

Campus counselors have reportedly observed early signs of burnout, particularly among younger researchers facing pressure to justify their presence on campus.

Several faculty members privately expressed unease, saying that IISc’s longstanding tradition of academic freedom and flexible work culture is being eroded.

“Research thrives when the mind is free, not when the clock is ticking,” said a senior professor on condition of anonymity.

Despite mounting criticism, the institute’s administration has indicated that it will maintain the policy for now.

A formal review is planned at the end of the semester, but students say their concerns about stress, autonomy, and academic freedom remain unresolved.

The debate, they note, is no longer just about hours on campus; it is about the very definition of what research should mean at one of India’s most prestigious scientific institutions.