PU withdraws circular violating UGC notification

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, December 24

After the intervention of Panjab University (PU) Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover, a circular on bypassing list of University Grants Commission (UGC) approved journals, dated December 24, which was violating the UGC Regulations (4th Amendment) was withdrawn today.

The UGC has been asking to consider its approved list of journals for recruitment and promotions, but the PU in a circular dated December 22 to all principals of affiliated colleges had approved for all indexed (with International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) number) or refereed journals, if research papers are published before July 11, 2016, the date of the UGC notification.

The UGC has released a list of journals for each subject to weed out predatory journals. The regulations notified on July 11, 2016, are called - ‘University Grants Commission (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) (4th Amendment)’.

Dean, Colleges Development Council, Prof Parvinder Singh, on December 22, had sent a communication to all colleges that “all publications, including research papers published in journals with ISSN number and books or chapter in books published by publishers with International Standard Book Number (ISBN) before July 11, 2016, that is before the date of notification of 4th amendments by the UGC, may be considered for award of marks for promotion under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) and direct recruitment under the 4th amendment of the UGC regulations for PU affiliated colleges.”

Once the issue came to light, Prof Grover intervened and put it on hold.

“I have already put it on hold. We have verified from the UGC. We have also contacted Prof Jaspal Singh, who was the then secretary of the UGC (when the notification dated July 11, 2016, was issued) and now the Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU). I have also consulted Prof AK Bhandari, former Dean of University Instructions (DUI). It is not permissible,” said Prof Grover.

Meanwhile, Prof Parvinder Singh could not be contacted for comments.