UK salaries ‘absolute joke’, India willing to pay better: England professor’s social media post starts debate

The ongoing debate on UK salaries has intensified, especially in academia, where pay scales have been criticised for failing to attract top global talent. Anant Sudarshan, a faculty member at the University of Warwick’s Economics Department, highlighted the issue in his posts on X (formerly Twitter).

Sudarshan shared his struggle to hire candidates eligible for the UK’s Special High Potential Individual Visa. He revealed that some government universities in India now offer slightly higher salaries in absolute terms, particularly for short-term project staff.

“UK salaries are becoming an absolute joke especially for contractual staff. I have failed to hire people eligible for the UKs special high potential individual visa because a government university in India is willing to pay them slightly more in absolute terms than here,” he wrote on social media.

He clarified, although average salaries in the UK remained higher, pay disparities had become significant on the margins, especially when adjusted for Purchasing Power Parity (PPP).

One user expressed surprise at the revelation, stating that Indian universities paying more would only worsen the situation when factoring in the UK’s high rent and cost of living.

According to Sudarshan, while Indian universities do not offer higher salaries on standard scales, flexible pay for specific roles, such as 2-3 year project appointments, makes them comparable. He pointed out the vast difference when considering PPP terms.

Political remarks

The conversation took a political turn when some users reacted dismissively. A user sarcastically suggested, “Boo hoo. Hire citizens.” Sudarshan clarified that the issue was not about citizenship but the universally low pay, stating, “Citizens don’t get more!”

Other comments included, “Whatever it takes. Go back”. Another user suggested, “Maybe you should all go back!” Such comments drew strong reactions from Sudarshan.

Addressing such remarks, he criticised the misplaced focus on immigration and pointed out that the debate centres on pay, not nationality. He added that such reactions, especially from Americans, were ironic given their own challenges with borders and immigration policies.