First few days
First few days
Report to the department on the day of reporting to duty.
Have a joining report ready (Just state that with reference to the offer letter, you are happy to report to duty on the forenoon/afternoon of such and such a day). Address this letter to the registrar, IISc and forwarded through the chairman of the department (format: DOC | PDF).
Get the Chairman's signature, and hike to the main building (near PRO office) and show the documents, give photocopies, photographs, finger prints. Remember to take back all your originals.
Remember the guideline that any official letter (either to registrar/director/associate director/divisional chairman) needs to be forwarded through the chairman.
As you do all this, get a letter from the Chairman of your department confirming that you have joined the department on such-and-such day. This can serve as official proof of office address until the more official one arrives from the council section (unit-IA), which might take few days.
If you already have an apartment allotted, make lots of photocopies of the allotment letter. It can serve as address proof.
Fill up bank account form, get Chairman's signature (introduction area of form), take all documents (letter from chairman, proof of residence, or of temporary residence, PAN card copy, passport copy of name and address pages, witness signature from a witness who sees you choose a nominee and sign), and hike to the bank of your choice (Canara / SBI) to open the account. Remember to take a copy of your joining letter (with Chairman's counter signature). This will serve as office address proof for the bank authorities. Bank will issue a checkbook and ATM card immediately after the account is opened and you can go next day to get passbook (remember to take a passport size photograph for this).
If your quarters have not been allotted and staying in the IISc guest house, for opening a Bank account (as well as post-paid mobile connections) requires a residential address proof, so get a letter from Chairman stating that you are residing at the IISc guest house, Bangalore -560 012 with an official seal. You need to submit the original letter as a proof, so try to get atleast 3 original letters that will serve as residential address proof.
If you wish to get a locker, talk to the bank manager to see if they are available and apply for one.
Don't forget to apply for an online user account for viewing bank statements and make use of a wealth of services online. The user id and password will be given to you the same day. Access is enabled in 3 working days. The bank will monitor your account for a month before they can issue this, so please check with bank officials about it.
Apply for a credit card at the bank. Just talk to the manager and request him to send the credit card agent to your office if he is not around that day.
Write a letter to the financial controller informing him/her of your bank account number for future deposits of reimbursements, salary, etc. You can also indicate your PAN card number to update in the employee details (format: DOC | PDF)
A few days later, you will receive a letter from the council section (unit-IA), that you have joined the institute. (Same as the one the chairman gives, but a more official one). Take multiple photo-copies of this letter.
If you need access to the swimming pool, go to the Gymkhana with photographs, pay a fee, and get a special pool access card.
Apply for a smart card. This serves both as your ID and library card. As you visit Unit-IA (Registrar's office) to get your educational diplomas verified, they will also help you getting the application for smart card filled up. Please submit 2 recent passport size photographs for this purpose.
Once you get your smart card (ID), please visit the library during office hours (9:30AM-4:30PM) to activate your card for borrowing books/journals.
Getting a smart card might take a month, in the mean time get a temporary ID by visiting security office right next to SBI, Canara bank ATMs. Please take 2 recent passport size photographs, your joining report, and offer letter to the security office and ask them to give a temporary ID for a month. They will be able to give you the id within 5 minutes (if not, you can collect it next day).
Request an ID card for your spouse as well. This will allow your spouse free entry into the campus. Submit your spouse's two passport size photographs, and provide details (name, address, date of birth, etc.) at the security office. You can collect the ID card the next day. This card is issued free of charge.
Consider becoming a member of the Faculty Association. There is a nominal life member fee (Rs. 1000). For more information, go to Faculty Association website .
Register at the Institute Administration and Management System . Some of your details will be listed here which you can verify. Click on "New User" and give your information. You should get an email from someone with login details. If you don't get it within two or three days, send an email to office@cca.admin.iisc.ernet.in Person to contact is Ms. Sita, Phone no: 2293 3006.
Whenever you avail some benefit (LTC, travel to home town, loan), or update information (say income tax declaration), check this web-site one week later to see if the information is up to date.
If you are housed in Vijnanapura Campus ground floor, it appears (by my crude estimates) that there is a 10% chance that you will suffer from flooding in any given year. The last house-flooding was on 25 October 2005; water rose to approximately 2 feet inside ground floor apartments in the north wing. Keep your essentials in the upper shelves, and buy house holder's insurance. The last mini-flooding when water entered into a few cars placed near the vents on North Street was on the night of 19 June 2006. Once each in 2008 and 2009, heavy downpour triggered movement of vehicles to higher ground. Water did not enter the apartments.
Go to the salary Section and talk to the accounts officer of Finance & Accounts (F&A) about New Pension Scheme. There is a statutory contribution of 10% of your Basic Pay + Grade Pay. The institute will match this. You can contribute up to 100% of your BP + GP if you wish. During the first year probationary period, you can contribute, but it will not accrue interest. During the second year, your first year's statutory contribution will be deducted in 8 monthly installments, in addition to the statutory (plus optional extra) contribution that you will make to the fund.
If you are interested in taking new life insurance policy, the contact person is: Mr. Guruprasad (LIC agent, phone no: 9448060209). To take a postal life insurance (PLI), go to the science institute post office (opposite to the IISc main gate) and ask the person at the counter to send a PLI agent to your office. Please leave your contact number with them.
You can visit the salary section (opposite to Main Library) for getting tax exemptions for the savings (on life insurance premiums/housing loans). You need to fill up a standard form and provide copies of the receipts of premium/loan payments. It is also a good idea to write letter to the officer in charge, salary section, clearly indicating the insurance policy numbers along with premium payments made for a year (format: DOC | PDF).
Reimbursement of relocation expenses: If you have come from abroad, the procedure for the reimbursement of relocation expenses may take 2-3 months. Initially you need to write a letter to the registrar, council section through the chairman requesting for reimbursement of your relocation expenses (format: DOC | PDF). Then the council section will send you a letter with the agreement text, which you need to print on a Rs. 20/- stamp paper (the minimum value of stamp paper available is Rs. 20/-, even though the letter says Rs. 10/- stamp paper) , and sign on it. The agreement text is given here (DOC | PDF), please make the appropriate changes and print it on the stamp paper. Please note that the stamp paper have to be issued under your name. Please send the agreement along with the cover letter to the Registrar through the Chairman of your department (format: DOC | PDF). You need to send all the receipts and itemized list (format: DOC | PDF) to financial controller, accounts section (unit-V) through the chairman for reimbursement along with a cover letter (I used the letter date's exchange rate for converting U.S. $ to Indian Rs.) [format: DOC | PDF].
How do I get a stamp paper? The State Bank of Mysore no longer sells stamp paper. E-stamp paper is available at the Syndicate bank at 18th cross rd Malleshwaram (one has to pay for it in the morning and collect it in the evening at 5pm).
There are two alternative sources of getting a stamp paper: (i) Sub-registrar's office, and (ii) Yasvantpur. The simplest way is to buy it at Yasvantpur: Just walk down to Yasvantpur (underneath the flyover, Hotel Rajini on your right-hand side), in the direction of the Railway station. A furlong away from the Yasvantpur circle, you will find a stamp paper vendor on the left. You will have to buy a Rs. 20 stamp paper for Rs. 50 but it is probably worth the money and the savings in time. Make sure the stamp paper has the date of purchase and signature of the issuing official on it.
You can avoid buying stamp paper by getting e-stamp paper. See here for details.
Visiting cards: It wouldn't hurt to get some visiting cards printed. You wouldn't need them inside IISc but you would certainly need them when you visit government offices for getting specific tasks done. IISc professors' visiting cards do seem to carry lot of weight outside IISc. Contact: Chamundeshwari Printers (Mr. Ananth), 186/6, Sirur Park Road, Seshadripuram, Bangalore - 20 (Phone: 23563208). The cost of printing cards (a few hundred rupees) can be met from the Department working expenses, upon request.
Rubber stamp: If you would like to get a rubber stamp done (to make your letters look a little official), you could contact Mr. Harish, Stamp Junction, Srinidhi Office Automation (#8/1, 10th Cross, Malleswaram, Bangalore - 3), Phone: 32911035/36, 23564728, 9886042854. The cost of preparing the stamp can also be met from the Department working expenses, upon request.