Over 100 extension lecturers removed with immediate effect

In a major action, the Department of Higher Education (DHE) has dispensed with the services of several extension lecturers across the state with immediate effect, while considering them as ‘ineligible’. Employed at various government colleges, they were being paid a monthly remuneration of Rs 57,700.

All these lecturers have PhD degrees from OPJS University (Churu), Sunrise University (Alwar) and Singhania University (Jhunjhunu) in Rajasthan, which were recently barred by the University Grants Commission (UGC) from enrolling PhD students for the next five years.

Though Rahul Hooda, Director General (Higher Education), is keeping mum, sources claimed that over 100 lecturers were affected by the action.

“Your PhD degree cannot be considered for the purpose of eligibility and thereby, you are ineligible extension lecturer and not liable to be retained in service and to retain you as ineligible lectures is not only against the spirit of state policy rather it is against the UGC regulations and the future of students will be at stake,” stated a communiqué issued to one of the extension lecturers yesterday.

The communiqué further maintained that “In various cases the Apex Court and the High Court have observed that ineligible extension lecturers have no right to hold the post in perpetuity and they have no legal right to continue on the posts. Thus, your services are liable to be dispensed with immediate effect.”

Last month, the DHE issued show-cause notices to 292 extension lecturers with PhDs from the Rajasthan universities, asking them to explain why their services should not be terminated. This followed a recent interim high court order in a case related to the PhD degrees obtained by these lecturers from the three Rajasthan Universities.

Sources said a letter recently sent by the DHE to college principals also emphasised that “The extension lecturers have been drawing the minimum of the pay scale of regular assistant/associate professor on the basis of PhD degree, claiming that by doing PhD, they have obtained minimum eligibility as per the UGC norms. It has been decided by the department to strictly examine whether the degrees obtained from three private universities of Rajasthan are within UGC regulations or not.”

Meanwhile, Ishwar Singh, state president of the Extension Lecturer Welfare Association, said the affected lecturers gathered in Panchkula today to register their protest.

Accusing the DHE of adopting a double standard, Singh pointed out that many regular faculty members in government colleges across the state had been employed based on PhD degrees from the same three Rajasthan universities, but the DHE had taken action only against extension lecturers.