THE GENERAL BODY MEETING WAS HELD ON 08 MARCH 2002 The agenda for the meeting was: 1. Confirmation of the minutes of the previous GBM 2. President's remarks 3. Annual Report by Secretary 4. Announcement of Election Results 5. Report on Medical Committee activities by Prof. A. M. Umarji 6. Any other matters 1. Since the the minutes of the previous GBM was displayed on the FA website, and there were no comments on the displayed minutes, it was taken as accepted. 2. The President dwelt on the most important problem that the FA needs to puruse with the administration, namely, faculty housing. Three particular aspects to be discussed are the need for housing, transparency in the allotment of housing, and the renovation of old housing. The Director has recognized the need for new housing and has said that this will be taken up during the Xth plan. There has been an improvement in the transparency in allotment in housing, and Mr. Adinarayan Murthy and Dr. Ram Seshadri have played an important role in this on behalf of the FA. A policy has been put in place whereby renovations are taken up whenever any old housing unit is vacated. The President also mentioned some of the areas in which the FA's efforts seem to have helped to improve matters. These include an improvement in the management of certain aspects of the inpatient and outpatient health services (on which Prof. Umraji made a report later in the meeting), the telephone system, the internet speed on campus, and the New BEL Road gate. 3. The secretary presented the details of the FA activities over the year. He emphasised that the focus on housing was not just a bias of a few members of the FA, but that it was a problem faced by a large number of faculty. He spelt the FA's efforts to bring the grievance of the SSO's regarding pay parity with Assistant Professors and the grievance of the Technical Assistants with regard to promotion and change of designation. He mentioned the FA's efforts to convince the administration to construct a bridge/subway connecting the main campus to the Aryabhata/KV campus, and other such items of campus maintenance. 4. Dr. N.C.Shivaprakash, acting in his capacity as returning officer, announced the election results. The following candidates were elected unopposed B. Ananthanarayan V. Venkataraman Debasis Sen Gupta K. V. S. Hari Jayant R. Haritsa One position in category in category 4 was unfilled, and Mr. M A Murthy was nominated and seconded on the floor. Yet another position in category 4 was unfilled, and it was left to the EC members to co-opt a member at a later stage. 5. Prof. A. M. Umarji gave a report of the deliberations and actions of the medical committe, and the process by which the current insurance scheme was arrived at. He reported that the medical costs borne by IISc was growing at an alarming rate every year. He reported on the new scheme at the Health Centre by which drugs were being bought in bulk and dispensed to the employees, securing a substantial savings in prescription costs. Dr. Abinandanan pointed out that it was cheaper for faculty to get insured independently via Mediclaim, and that faculty should be allowed that choice. Others asked that there be choice in medical schemes for faculty, rather than a uniform scheme forced on everyone. The issue was, in general, left unresolved. 6. A comment was made by one of the members on the dwindling number of faculty attending the GBMs, and that something should be done to bring more faculty to the meetings.