Early Times Report
Jammu, June 11: The policy of Higher Education department to engage contractual faculty members in colleges has allegedly been Kashmir centric with criterian devised to benefit Kashmir based candidates while Jammu based would be ignored.
The criterian has allegedly been framed by the department, in total violation of the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines for selection of Assistant Professors as well as Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) norms for engagements.
The contractual faculty members of Jammu informed Early Times that as per UGC criterian for selection of Assistant Professors, NET/SLET is compulsory eligibility while the candidates with Ph.D without having NET, are also fall under eligibility criteria. Last year when Higher Edu Deptt made contractual engagements vide order number 78-HE of 2018 dated 8/2/2018, the NET/SLET and Ph.D have 6 points. The same criteria has been manipulated in 2019, vide order number 298-HE of 2019, dated 30/5/2019, according to which Ph.D has been given 8 points and NET/SLET/SET with only 5 points.
"Many Kashmir based candidates have failed to quality NET/SLET but have managed Ph.D from the universities with dubious credentials, so to benefit these candidates, such criterian has been framed, which is in violation of UGC rules", the contractual lecturer said.
Moreover, as per new criteria the department has also kept 2 points for online certificate courses (MOOC, SWAYAM/NPTELS/ARPIT etc) and this was also done to give benefit to Kashmir based candidates. "What is requirement of these courses for a Psychology professor, this is totally flawed criteria with ulterior motives", the contractual faculty said, adding that strangely, the department has given maximum of 10 marks for 10 years teaching experience as they were aware that maximum of Jammu candidates have experience of many years.
"In Kashmir valley, over 600 contractual faculty members have secured status-quo at their appointments and the competition of Kashmir based candidates is over remaining few seats and ultimately the Kashmir based candidates will shift towards Jammu seats", the contractual faculty said.
Moreover Higher education Deptt is also violating GAD's order number 1276-GAD of 2017, dated 6/10/2017, which had abolished affidavits in respect of fifty one services but they have been demanding an affidavit, duly attested by 1st class Judicial Magistrate on prescribed format.
The candidates further said that when they were engaged last year and had demanded summer-vacations, which were permitted as per last year's engagement order, they were told that the order would be implemented next year. "But this year again the college principals have not been giving summer vacations to contractual faculty, taking into consideration the 30th May, 2019 order, according to which the engagements are yet to be made", he said.
The contractual faculty appealed Governor SP Malik, to take cognizance of the matter and rectify the wrongs committed by some vested interested people. |
