New Delhi, Sep 22 - Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sabil Tuesday took a firm stand against the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) faculty protesting the government-proposed pay and autonomy, and made it clear that government-funded institutes would be regulated and eligibility conditions would be imposed.

'Systems, universities, especially when they are funded 100 percent, have to be regulated. It is not possible to say there will be no regulation as we are accountable to parliament and the people of India. We have to impose eligibility conditions,' Sibal told reporters here.

On Monday, over 1,300 teachers of IITs decided to go on hunger strike Thursday to protest the government's apathy towards their demand for a higher pay package.

Signalling his disapproval of their move, Sibal stressed that 'the faculty behavior doesn't meet IIT standards'.

The protesting staff has two major contentions - the pay package of assistant and associate professors and a cap on the number of professors who can be promoted to the next level.