UGC scheme creates confusion on college teachers’ promotion
Amaninder Pal
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 4
The implementation of Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) for promotion of college teachers in the state has thrown up several claimants for the posts of principal in state-run degree colleges.
Several college teachers, who have got promotions as professors from associate professors through the CAS route, claimed that the associate professors recently appointed college principals by the state Higher Education Department had superseded them.
They allege that the state government, while appointing the principals, had ignored the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, where professors should be considered senior to associate professors.
What has led to the confusion is the state government’s decision whereby the Department of Higher Education had followed the original seniority list prepared by Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), which was prepared in accordance with the joining date of college lecturers.
But the teachers, who got promotions under CAS, are now demanding that the government should nullify the original seniority list and prepare a new one keeping in view the changes in seniority of hundreds of college teachers after the implementation of CAS in Punjab in 2009.
“The UGC has clearly stated that professor, whose grade pay is higher than associate professor, is senior. We fail to understand how a junior teacher can be elevated as principal. We want that the government should set aside the old seniority list. A large number of teachers have attained seniority through the CAS route. A new list should be prepared considering these recent changes,” said Dr Bikramjit Singh Virk, president, Punjab Government College Professors’ Association.
The department had appointed new principals of 24 colleges in October last year. Currently, around 800 teachers are working in Punjab colleges. Around 73 teachers have become professors from associate professors and around 100 turned associate professors from assistant professors using the CAS route from 2012 to 2015.
Surjit Singh, Minister for Higher Education, and TK Goyal, DPI (Higher Education), could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
