Teaching in India

Question

I am a physicist and I am planning to take a break and move to India for a year or so. I would love to teach while there, but I don't know anything about the Indian system... are teachers hired directly by each school, or is there a central system? And what about teaching at the university level? Any tip will be very useful.

In case it might be helpful: for my PhD I developed a new microscopy technique for materials science. I did some postdoc work afterwards. I also spent a few months teaching math and physics at an Italian high school. I have extensive experience working with X-rays and neutrons.

Answer 1

In India there are both government and private colleges. While recruitment to private colleges take place as per their needs, govt college recruitments take place through a national level examination known as NET (National Eligibility test). Cracking the NET exam with a decent rank requires preparation and passing the exam does not guarantee you a lectureship. Moreover with reservation and other cut offs, the Indian system is a mess.

So, your option would be to apply for private colleges. In this case, not knowing the local language could be a major disadvantage.Also, there is nepotism and favoritism rampant in private college recruitments. You are more than qualified, however, you could still lose out to an inferior applicant during the recruitment process.

I do not want to discourage you but you are welcome to try. The novelty of being a foreigner who wants to teach could work to your advantage. Look for online postings and newspaper columns for job openings. I would also suggest directly visiting/calling private colleges in the area that you stay to know about job openings. All the best.