Regarding the latter, Sibal said: '...At any university take MIT, Harvard or Stanford, it takes several years, sometimes 10 to 20 years, to take tenure. All that we are asking is that the state PhD with no teaching experience should not be immediately absorbed into the system. If he has had 2 years teaching experience, then he can have a one-year contract and then we can absorb him. If no experience, then it'll take him three years to be absorbed.'

He said that the 'tenure is not a matter of pride' and that after the contract period ended, the institutes could use their discretion to absorb the professors. 'We won't interfere in that process.'

The minister concluded by saying: 'We are promoting excellence... I am sure the faculty of IITs don't want to dilute excellence and we are the ones that want to promote it.'