Row over Bill: Varsity staff turn to parties for support

Our Correspondent

Jammu, December 2

The Joint Action Committee, formed by employees of different universities against the J&K Public Universities Bill, have been meeting politicians from different parties to garner their support to pressurise the government. The committee claims that the Bill, after becoming an Act, would end the universities’ autonomy as the appointments and transfers would be in the hands of government bodies.

In the past 10 days, they have met Ghulam Nabi Azad, Farooq Abdullah, Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan leader Choudhary Lal Singh, BJP leader Prof Nirmal Singh and others, urging them to raise their voice against the Bill.

Vikas Sharma, president of the Teaching Association of SKUAST University, Jammu, said the provision number 13 of the Bill removed the position of Pro-Chancellor. “In the existing Acts, the CM and the Governor are Pro-Chancellor and Chancellor, respectively. Dilution of the university governing bodies and interference in academic and research work will affect the functioning of the institutions,” said Sharma.

Prof Pankaj Srivastava, president, Jammu University Teachers’ Association, claimed the provision 49 of the Bill read that the teachers would be considered as public servants, “contrary to rules”.

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