Punjabi University to cut workload of officials doubling up as professors

PATIALA:While Punjabi University is already under staffed, the varsity on Wednesday re-notified a previous order to provide 50 per cent and 33 per cent reduction on academic workload to officials of administrative posts on the campus.

Contractual employees of Punjabi University hold a protest in Patiala on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Ravneet Singh

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 11

While Punjabi University is already under staffed, the varsity on Wednesday re-notified a previous order to provide 50 per cent and 33 per cent reduction on academic workload to officials of administrative posts on the campus.

The trend to allocate non-teaching administrative posts to teaching staff and professors has been prevalent in the varsity since long. Officials including, Registrar Dr Manjit Singh Nijjer, Dean, Academic affairs and controller of examinations, Dr GS Batra, Finance officer Radhe Sharan Arora are all professors given non-teaching positions in the University.

On the other hand, the University is reeling under-staff as many professors have retired over time and the varsity has not been able to hire more professors.

The officials given 50 per cent concession in academic workload, include Dean, Academic Affairs Dr GS Batra, Registrar Dr Manjit Singh Nijjer, finance officer Radhe Sharan Arora, Dean research Dr Jaspal Kaur.

Other officials given 33 per cent concession in academic workload include, Director Public Relations, Gurmeet Singh Maan, Director Youth Welfare ,Gursewak Singh Lambi and others.

When contacted about the matter, University Registrar Manjit Singh Nijjer said: “The university had notified the order earlier. This is re-notification of the order now. The professors who spend their whole day in administrative work in offices are given concession to ensure that the work can be

done feasibly.”

When questioned about the lack of professors in the University due to retirements of other professors he said: “The university is ensuring that the teaching hours are completed and students do not have to face inconvenience. We are hiring retired professors and other lecturers to deliver on basis of lecture charges.”

Contractual workers continue to strike

Contractual outsourced workers in Punjabi University continued their strike for the eighth day on Wednesday as meetings and assurances from the University officials failed to bring any results.

The contractual workers, including security guards, and cleanliness workers have been demanding regularisation, while university officials claim they have no such provision.

A meeting with a delegation of the employees was held on Tuesday in which Vice-Chancellor (VC) BS Ghuman proposed to form a high-level committee to probe and finalise the matter.