A RESPONSE OF AIFUCTO TO PROF.V.S. CHAUHAN COMMITTEEREPORT
1)Financial Support
The Pay Review Committee strongly recommended Central Assistance to the extent of 80% of the additional liability for full 60 months. In contrary, the GOI extended support of 50% of the additional liability for only 39 months. Even as the AIFUCTO have been consistently demanding 100% assistance for 10 years, the Central Govt. granted only 40% of the Prof. Chauhan Committee recommended grant. The heavy reduction of assistance to State Governments will lead to delay / denial of implementation of revised pay scale in states. AIFUCTO takes strong exception to the reduction of grant and urges the GOI to honour its commitment of full assistance to State Governments.
2)Filling up of vacancies:
The PRC recommended grants to Universities / Colleges be linked to the condition of filling up of vacant posts. The committee also recommended that the appointment of Temperary Teachers should be avoided totally and timely steps be taken to fill up the posts in a regular manner. It further said that the Teachers should be fully qualified as per UGC norms and their teaching experience be counted for future employment. The most important recommendation on this matter is that the temporary teachers / contract teachers / Ad-hoc teachers (by whatever nomenclature they may be called) shall be entitled to draw pay at the minimum pay scale extended to regular employees holding the same post as per the Hon’ble Supreme Court Jugement in Jagjit Singh case.
AIFUCTO while welcoming these recommendations on appointments and pay, it strongly urges the GOI to enact a law to ensure the implementation of the above recommendations in Universities / Colleges / Institutions throughout the whole of India. A very strong law is essential in view of the poor service conditions of temporary teachers and meagre payment as salary to those teachers by almost all Universities / Colleges / Institutions.
The committee also recommended payment at the rate of Rs.1,500/- per lecture subject to a maximum of Rs.40,000/- per month.
In the appointment of Vice - Chancellors and Head of the Institutions, the Committee recommended that the selection process must be done in advance and that a system be put in place by which no institution of Higher Education is left without a full time leadership. AIFUCTO welcomes this suggestion and urges the MHRD to ensure that every institution comply with the recommendation.
3)Education Tribunal
AIFUCTO welcomes the recommendation of setting up of Education Tribunal with retired judges, eminent academics, administrators and legal experts exclusively to deal with the matters of conflict and grievances in the Higher Education Institutions and their quick delivery of decisions.
4)NAAC accreditation
AIFUCTO cannot accept the mandatory provision of NAAC accreditation with a minimum grade of B by the College / University to seek funds from the Central Government / State Government / UGC / any other agency as this will lead to unhealthy race by the institutions.
5)Pay scales of Teachers, DPE and Librarians
In contrary to the policy decision of the GOI to fix higher scales for Teachers as early as in 1986 revision, this PRC has simply adopted the pay matrices applicable for other employees. Particularly the entry pay of Level 11 (AGP 7000) and 12 (AGP 8000) applicable for Assistant Professors are minimized to the lowest. The committee says that since Level 11 and 12 are promotional posts the entry pay for those levels were arrived at by adding 6 and 5 increments respectively. This decision of PRC made the creation of separate levels for AGP 7000 and AGP 8000 totally meaningless. In other words, when a teacher moves from one level to another level in Assistant Professor category, there is no hike at all in their salaries as if they are continuing in the same level. This formula effectively minimized the gap between Level 10, 11 and 12.
Moreover while fixing the entry pay, in contrast to the scales of Central Government employees, where a minimum pay has been prescribed for each GP, no minimum pay have been prescribed for Teachers. Even the minimum pay (23890 + 8000) prescribed in the last pay revision (2006) for AGP 8000 teachers is ignored in this revision.
The decision of no separate minimum for AGP 7000 & AGP 8000 teachers and the decision of ignoring the existing minimum for AGP 8000 category cumulatively minimized the pay of the Assistant Professors in all the three levels (10, 11, 12). This is the sole reason for large gap between Levels 10, 11, 12 and 13A.
This is highly unacceptable to AIFUCTO as a large section of Teachers appointed over past one decade were given a raw deal due to the above said fixation. In this part of the report, the PRC has not applied its mind and totally ignored the fact that each level should be treated as promotion.
Moreover, comparing the pay scales of Colleges / Universities with IIT / ITM scales, discrimination is shown only in the AGP 8000 teachers fixing Rs.1,01,500/- for IIT, Rs.79,800 for College / University.
As a whole, all the three categories of Assistant Professors were given a raw deal leading to a lot of heartburns among the young teachers who are highly qualified and talented and took up the noble job of teaching at the age older than those entering in civil services.
6)Abolition of incentives
Professor Chadha Committee in its report rightly said “as a matter of principle, teachers in various categories should be given incentives by way of advance increments and higher grade pay to compensate them for higher qualifications at the entry point. Also, it would be a significant incentive for more meritorious scholars to join the teaching profession, particularly at this juncture when both the corporate sector and foreign educational institutions are luring the young talented persons away with higher salaries and better pay packages”. The Chadha committee also took into consideration the fact that acquiring higher qualifications also meant that the teachers would enter the profession at an age older than of those entering the civil services. The previous PRCs on the basis of the above said principle not only granted incentive increments for Ph.D., / M.Phil., and other higher degrees but also increased it from one pay revision to other from 1986 to 2006. But, Prof. Chauhan Committee without application of its mind and without assigning reason for abolishing the incentives recommended that there shall be no incentive increments for obtaining M.Phil., or Ph.D., both at the entry level and also during service. The MHRD also in its order dt.02.11.2017, denied the incentive increments. Any decision taken by PRC should be on the basis of principle and proper reasoning. AIFUCTO strongly feels that the PRC might have taken the decision under the pressure of MHRD to reduce its financial commitment even at the cost of quality.
AIFUCTO urges the MHRD to restore incentive increments at the entry level and also during service for higher qualifications.
7)Anomalies
The PRC has rejected almost all the demands about anomalies under the pretext that it is the prerogative of the Government without seeing the logic, variations in pay for similarly situate teachers and also elaborate illustrations given by AIFUCTO in its memorandum. In fact the very same committee while hearing us in September 2016 appreciated our elaborate preparation to defend the anomalies.
AIFUCTO particularly expresses its displeasure over the statement of PRC under para 7 of the Chapter 6 “In any case, the committee has recommended the removal of such incentives and hence the problem would not arise in future”.
AIFUCTO strongly demands that an anomaly committee be formed exclusively to redress the grievances given in AIFUCTO memorandum at the time of its interaction with PRC in September 2016.
8)Tutors and Demonstrators
The PRC has recommended the pay matrix applicable for Central Govt. employees in PB 2 with a Grade Pay of Rs.4,200/-. Treating T & D categories on a par with non-teaching category is not acceptable to AIFUCTO. As they are doing the work of teaching nature, they should be granted scales on a par with teachers. AIFUCTO urges the Govt. of India to issue orders suitably modifying the recommendations.
9)Affirmative action for teachers from socially challenged section
The PRC condemned the non-compliance of the roster system or attempts to circumvent it by the educational institutions / universities and recommended that the UGC makes proper and timely intervention in case rules are being floated. AIFUCTO welcomes this recommendation and hope that GOI ensures the adherence of rules relating to the appointment of teachers from socially challenged sections by the Universities / Educational Institutions.
10)Pension
The PRC has recommended that the rules regarding pension, PF, Gratuity, etc., should be adhered to completely in respect of Teachers, Librarian, Physical Education and sports staff of the University and Colleges.
11)Academic and other allowances
The PRC has recommended to double the seed money for research related activities from 2 lakhs to 4 lakhs for humanities / social sciences and 5 lakhs to 10 lakhs for science teachers. The committee recommended professional development grant to a maximum of Rs.2 Lakhs to all faculty members for 10 years, instead of monthly academic allowance. But the Quantum is only marginally increased. AIFUCTO demands the increase of quantum.
Apart from the above, the committee recommended a special research grant of Rs.25 Lakhs each for 20 completed research work. All other allowances are under wait.
12)Group medical insurance scheme
The Committee recommended GMI scheme for teachers with 50 : 50 matching basis.
13)Recruitment Qualification for teachers:
i)Ph.D., degree holders as per 2009 UGC regulations can be appointed as Assistant Professors in both Universities and Colleges.
ii)NET / SET / SLET candidates made ineligible for Asst. Prof., appointment in Universities. They are eligible to be appointed only in colleges.
iii)A new clause (B) is added in the qualification for appointment of Assistant Professor in both colleges and universities. As per this clause, a Ph.D. holder from a University / Institution with a ranking of top 500 in the world university ranking by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the Times Higher Education (THE) and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) of the shanghai Jiao Tong University (Shanghai) is eligible to be appointed as Assistant Professor irrespective of fulfilling other requirements like Minimum 55%, NET, etc.
iv)The Qualification for senior Professor in universities by direct recruitment is prescribed. Eligibility is 10 years as Professor.
v)The principal grade is categorized as Grade I and Grade II. Down grading of Grade II Principals to Associate Professor scale is not acceptable to AIFUCTO.
vi)The committee has recommended 5 years tenure of Principal with a provision for one more term of 5 years.
vii)The Committee has recommended the creation of Vice-Principal Post to be filled up with an existing faculty member. He / She is to be assigned specific activities in addition to existing responsibilities. During the absence of the Principal, Vice-Principal would act as Principal.
14)Recruitment qualification for Librarians
i)Teachers in institutions where Library Science is a teaching department will be covered by the provisions provided for teachers in humanities and science.
ii)Deputy Librarian is replaced by Senior Deputy Librarian in Universities. Eight years experience is the requirement.
iii)For University Librarians, experience requirement is reduced to 10 years.
15)Recruitment qualification for physical education and sports.
i)Teachers in institutions where physical education and sports in a Teaching department will be covered by the provisions given for teachers.
ii)A new class has been introduced in the appointment of University Assistant Director of physical education / college DPE. As per this clause, an Asian Games or Common Wealth medal winner who has a degree at least at graduate level can be appointed irrespective of other requirements.
iii)Deputy Director of Physical Education is replaced by Senior Deputy Director of Physical Education. The eligibility is 8 years experience (or) an Olympic Games medal winner who has a degree atleast at graduate level.
16)Career Advancement scheme - Teaching, Research, Extension, etc.
i)The committee recommended a new assessment procedure instead of API based PBAS.
ii)The assessment activities are (a) teaching, (b) additional teaching,
(c) additional teaching and other materials / tutorials, (d) student related / research activities.
iii)The Teachers are to be classified as good, satisfactory and not satisfactory on the basis of assessment.
iv)The overall grading is again Good, satisfactory and not satisfactory.
Good - Good in teaching and satisfactory or good in at least two other
activities.
(or)
Satisfactory in teaching and good in atleast two other
activities.
Satisfactory - Satisfactory in teaching and good or satisfactory in
atleast two other activities.
Not satisfactory - If neither good nor satisfactory in
overall grading.
v)Recommended to use ICT technology to monitor the attendance of teachers and students.
vi)Point systems are to be followed for research publications / activities.
17)Refresher course / orientation course requirement
College:
Assistant Professor to Senior Assistant Professor - OC - 21 days
Research methodology / workshop / RC- 5 days
Senior AP to SGAP - RC- 5 days
SGAP: to Associate Professor - RC- 5 days
Universities:
AP to Sr. AP- OC- 21 days
- RC- 5 days
Sr. AP to SGAP- RC- 5 days
SGAP to Associate Professor- RC- 5 days
18)Assessment procedure for CAS
i)Teachers should submit an annual self appraisal report with documentary evidences.
ii)The information will be verified by the college / university every year and the same will be hosted on the website of the institution.
iii)A CAS promotion committee will verify the records including students feedback and interview the teachers.
iv)To get CAS from AP to Sr.AP, one should get satisfactory or good grade in atleast 3 years of the last four years of assessment period and interview score of 70 out of 100.
v)To get CAS from Sr.AP to SGAP, one should get satisfactory or good grade in atleast 4 years of the last 5 years of the assessment period and an interview score of 70 out of 100.
vi)To get Associate Professorship, the requirement is satisfactory or good in atleast 2 years of the last 3 years and an interview score of 70 out of 100.
vii)The Professor post in colleges (7% of total number of teachers working in the college) and Senior Professor (10% of Professors) post in universities to be filled up only by direct recruitment.
viii)The requirement of research publications for the appointment in universities:
AP to Sr.AP-2 publications in UGC listed journals with
research score of 18.
Sr.AP to SGAP-6 publications with research score of 52.
SGAP to Associate-8 publications with research score of 75.
Asso.Prof. to Prof.-12 publications with a research score of 120
ix)Similar assessment criteria to be followed for Librarians and physical education and sports.
19)Attracting and retaining talent in Higher Education
i)The PRC recommended seamless portability of service with protection of benefits from one institution to another among similar institutions. The mobility should not be restricted amongst UGC institutions, but should also include other reputed educational institutions of importance IIM, IISER, IIT, TIFR, etc.
ii)1% of top NET qualifiers in all subjects be offered post of Asst. Professors if they opt for a Ph.D. programme. Each university should set aside certain number of posts towards this end.
iii)An innovation centre should be established to create necessary linkages between university, local / national industry / research labs / institutions, civil society and the Govt. The funding for such initiatives on creating clusters and incubators be realized through PPP.
iv)Efforts should be taken by the state university and research institutions, located in different regions to access, co-ordinate and develop common resources. Exchange of scholars, experts, professionals and incentive networking with the academic and research institutions be undertaken for this purpose.
v)Efforts be taken to set up 10 research centres that could be accessed by all academic institutions.
20)Use of ICT in Teachings
i)UGC may earmark funds for universities to promote ICT.
ii)Massive open online courses (MOOC) like courses may be introduced to all those joining the teaching profession at the entry level.
iii)MOOC like courses with certification be promoted for imparting training during summer vacation. This type of orientation may be given to Asst. and Associate Professors level.
iv)ICT should be used in administration and management of the institutions.
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