Ravinder Saini
Rohtak, November 9
Describing it as a “violation of right to privacy”, a section of teachers in government colleges have opened a front against the state authorities for imposing the mandatory condition of mentioning their health status while filling the annual confidential report (ACR).
They have demanded the removal of the condition with immediate effect.
The Haryana Government College Teachers Association (HSGTA), an elected body of college teachers, has decided not only to run a signature campaign against the move but also to beat “thalis” and do clapping through its members in all colleges of the state.
The decision to this effect was taken at an online meeting of state executives of the HSGTA held yesterday to decide the future course of action against the move after a detailed discussion. The association office-bearers claimed that representatives of a majority of the government colleges attended the online meet and unanimously passed the resolution about the decision.
The development came a day after the Department of Higher Education (DHE) fixed the parameters for health check-up for the ACR to facilitate the teachers in this respect. It is for the first time when the DHE has added the column of “health status” to the online proforma for the ACR of the college teachers.
Sources said the health report would include the investigation report of haemogram, blood sugar, lipid profile, liver function test, kidney function test, Vitamin D test and blood pressure level of teachers who are bound to submit their ACR online for the session 2021-22 by November 20.
Dr Pratibha Chauhan, general secretary, HSGTA, in a letter to Director General (Higher Education), said if the department was so much concerned about the teachers’ health, it should organise health check-up camps and provide the facility of medical leave to the college teachers.
“The move aims at collecting health details of all teachers so that they could be retired before time on the basis of their health report. We will not hesitate to stage dharna outside the state headquarter if the demand is not met soon,” she added.
Dr Amit Chaudhary, president, HSGTA, said, “The ACR pertains to work and conduct of every teacher and the report reaches the higher authorities after passing through different channels. It will be a violation of right to privacy if the health report of teachers is made mandatory to be attached with the ACR. Moreover, the report may also be used to give retirement to the teachers before time, hence we are resisting it and will beat ‘thalis’ and clap tomorrow to register our protest.”
Dr Priyanka Verma, Assistant Professor, Government College, Meham, said teachers would bring “thalis” from their home to make the protest successful.
Report sought by November 20
The health report will include details of haemogram, blood sugar, lipid profile, liver function test, kidney function test, Vitamin D test and blood pressure level of teachers who are bound to submit their ACR online for session 2021-22 by November 20
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