Archive · 20 Nov 2025
Indian Institutions Mandate Long Work Hours, Sparking Debate
Some Indian universities and workplaces are making students and employees work very long hours, even up to 16 hours a day.
This is being criticized because it doesn't consider how people actually work best.
Some people think it's because Indian workplaces don't trust their employees.
IISc Bengaluru introduced a new attendance policy requiring MTech and first-year PhD students to spend at least 50 hours a week in labs
Senior PhD scholars expected to match their advisers’ 70-80 hour weekly schedules, effectively 14-16 hours daily
Monitoring enforced via RFID and facial recognition devices
Critics argue this policy equates hours spent at work with productivity, ignoring research on optimal work-rest cycles
Indian workplaces and universities often prioritize long hours, with low trust leading to excessive surveillance and micro-management
- Who
- Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, MTech and first-year PhD students, senior PhD scholars
- What
- Introduced a new attendance policy mandating long work hours
- When
- Recently
- Where
- Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
- Why
- To enforce lab attendance and productivity, though critics argue it's misguided
Proponents of Mandatory Hours
Critics of Long Hours Policy
Productivity Measurement
Proponents of Mandatory Hours
Believe hours spent at work directly correlate with productivity
Critics of Long Hours Policy
Argue this ignores research on optimal work-rest cycles and real-world work complexities
Trust and Surveillance
Proponents of Mandatory Hours
See long hours and monitoring as necessary for accountability
Critics of Long Hours Policy
Criticize low trust leading to excessive surveillance and micro-management
- Mandated Hours
- 50 hours/week for MTech and first-year PhD students, 70-80 hours/week for senior PhD scholars
- Monitoring Method
- RFID and facial recognition devices
- Global Ranking of Remote Work
- India ranks 64 in the Global Remote Work Index