Faculty + administrative staff with DA linked to AICPI, sabbatical leave (1 year per 7), research grants as non-taxable reimbursements, academic leave for conferences and FDPs. For private universities, AICTE-approved colleges, and autonomous institutions.
Each row is a pain point we've heard from operators in this vertical — and the specific FastLegal Payroll feature that addresses it.
ProblemDA revisions twice a year per AICPI but generic HRMS doesn't bump it automatically.
FastLegal solvesDearness Allowance is a built-in salary component (50% of basic default) on the University profile. Admin updates the percentage when AICPI publishes; engine applies it from the next payroll cycle.
ProblemUGC sabbatical (1 year off every 7) isn't modelled in any payroll system.
FastLegal solvesSabbatical Leave is a built-in leave type (365 days/year of eligibility, paid). Award per UGC norms; engine pays full salary during the sabbatical period without affecting other balances.
ProblemResearch grants for faculty handled as ad-hoc transfers — auditors flag them as salary.
FastLegal solvesResearch Grant is a built-in non-taxable reimbursement component (₹5,000/mo default). Per Section 10(16) of ITA, scholarships and research grants for educational purposes are exempt.
ProblemEngineering / Sciences / Humanities / Management each have their own department head and faculty pool.
FastLegal solvesIndustry profile pre-loads 9 departments: 5 Faculty (Engineering, Sciences, Humanities, Management, Research) + 4 Administration (Admissions, Examinations, Library, Hostel & Mess).
ProblemFaculty designation ladder is Lecturer → Assistant Professor → Associate Professor → Professor → Dean → VC — generic systems don't model this.
FastLegal solvesPre-loaded 10 designations across Faculty + Administration tracks. Workspace-wide referenceable list.
ProblemFaculty Development Programme attendance is paid leave but treated as personal time-off.
FastLegal solvesAcademic Leave is a built-in leave type (14 days/year, paid). Specifically for conferences, FDPs, training programs. Doesn't reduce CL/SL balances.
UGC and AICTE pay scales are built on Basic + DA (linked to AICPI) + HRA + Special. FastLegal's University salary structure mirrors this exactly. Adjust the DA percentage centrally; engine propagates to every faculty payslip.
Three leave types specific to higher ed, in addition to standard CL/SL/EL/ML/PL. Sabbatical lets a professor take a year off without leaving the faculty roll.
9 departments split Faculty (Engineering, Sciences, Humanities, Management, Research) vs Administration (Admissions, Examinations, Library, Hostel & Mess). 10 designations from Vice Chancellor down to Research Associate.
FastLegal Payroll references each of these frameworks correctly in its payslips, PDFs and statutory exports.
Pay scales, sanctioned faculty positions, qualification norms.
For technical education institutions — faculty ratios, pay structure.
Section 392 salary TDS. Universities often §10(23C)(iiiab) exempt themselves.
Scholarships and research grants for education are tax-exempt.
Mandatory for 20+ staff. Every UGC/AICTE institution crosses this.
UGC and AICTE pay scales are Basic + DA + HRA + Special — exactly the structure on the University industry profile. When AICPI updates and DA needs revision, admin updates the DA percentage on the salary structure; the engine applies the new rate from the next payroll cycle. Pay-band linkage (locking each designation to a pay-band entry) is planned for a future release.
Yes. Sabbatical Leave is a built-in leave type (365 days of eligibility, paid). Award per UGC norms (typically 1 year every 7). The engine credits full salary during the sabbatical period; other leave balances aren't affected.
No — per Section 10(16) of the Income-tax Act, scholarships and research grants given for educational purposes are exempt from income tax. FastLegal pre-loads Research Grant as a non-taxable reimbursement component. It appears on the payslip but doesn't increase taxable income.
Academic Leave (14 days/year) is specifically for Faculty Development Programmes, conferences, training, and other professional development. It's paid, but separate from Casual Leave so a faculty member's CL balance isn't depleted by every conference trip.
Yes. A university's own income-tax exempt status (typically u/s 10(23C)(iiiab) for government-aided, or 12AA registration for private) doesn't relieve it of Section 192 / Section 392 obligations. TDS on faculty salaries is still required; Form 16 / Form 130 still need to be issued.
Create a workspace, bootstrap the standard Indian defaults (leave types, salary structure, holidays for two years), add your first employee, and run May payroll — all before your evening chai.