PUTA hits out at varsity

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 18

Following the PU’s stand against Senators before the high court, the Panjab University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) on Wednesday hit back at the authorities for following a pick-and-choose policy and ignoring seniority while making new appointments.

“There have been some recent instances wherein during the absence of higher officials of the university, the seniority of faculty was completely bypassed and person(s) were made to officiate (verbally or in writing) on the basis of ‘pick and choose’, for reasons best known to the authorities,” said Prof Rajesh Gill, president, PUTA, in her letter to Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover.

She added that in the past, when the Dean (Research) was appointed on the basis of seniority, he or she was justified to had been made to officiate in the absence of the DUI or the VC, in view of his or her seniority.

“But since the post of the Director (Research) is no longer based on seniority, but on selection, and the incumbent is appointed irrespective of his or her position on the seniority list, there is no justification for asking him or her or any other teacher bypassing the seniority, to officiate as the DUI or the VC, especially when there are a large number of professors in between on the seniority list, which has recently been posted on the university website by the authorities,” she reasoned.

PUTA said such acts of “pick and choose and wilful violation of principle of seniority by the authorities themselves are bound to cause heart burn and frictions within the teaching fraternity, detrimental to the academic and administrative health of the university”.

“Even if a professor has to officiate for one or half a day, the seniority should be observed. The standards of professional morality have to be set by officers at the helm of affairs, especially at an institution of higher learning, entrusted with instilling professional morality among the youth in particular and society in general,” said Prof Gill.

Director (Research), Promotion Cell, Prof Ramanjit Kaur Johal, had worked as acting DUI on Tuesday as Prof Meenakshi Malhotra was on leave.

Association chief writes to VC

“There have been some recent instances wherein during the absence of higher officials of the university, the seniority of faculty was completely bypassed and person(s) were made to officiate (verbally or in writing) on the basis of ‘pick and choose’, for reasons best known to the authorities,” said Prof Rajesh Gill, president, PUTA, in her letter to VC Arun Kumar Grover.