The inordinate delay in framing rules and regulations by the State Government on the basis of the UGC’s sixth pay scale and service conditions is denying due promotions and emoluments to the teachers of government and aided colleges.
Teachers allege that total confusion prevails within officials of the Department of Collegiate Education and among themselves on matters including promotion and increments. The State Government issued orders implementing the sixth UGC pay revision and scheme for teachers on March 27, 2010. It noted that the revised rates of the non-compounded advance increments would be effective from September 1, 2008. The UGC norms on minimum qualifications for appointment of teachers and measures for the maintenance of standards in higher education were also approved on December 10, 2010.
“Still, a major confusion persists on awarding incentives for those who joined the service with PhD. As per the latest UGC norms, teachers who joined the service with a doctorate from a university following coursework should be given five increments. However, there is a lack of clarity in this regard as the state universities have made coursework a mandate only recently. Besides, officials are confused on how the new norms would be applicable to the teachers who secured PhD before 2008 and joined the service later,” said an assistant professor of a government college in Kozhikode, who declined to be named.
Though teachers entering service with doctorate are entitled for four increments as per the previous UGC norms, Collegiate Education Directorate has reportedly kept the sanctioning of the incentives pending over the last two years citing the ambiguity. “A majority of teachers who have joined the service with PhD since 2008 are yet to get any increment while a few ‘influential’ persons are enjoying four and five advance increments,” the assistant professor said.
AKGCT state general secretary S Sudarsanan Pillai said the government is yet to act though the matter was taken up with the Higher Education secretary a month ago. “At a meeting a month ago, we demanded the government to make applicable the requirement of coursework for PhD incentives and Performance-based Assessment Scheme applicable for teachers who had joined the service after that date,” he said. Meanwhile, Higher Education Dept Principal Secretary K M Abraham told Express that the govt would soon issue a notification to bring clarity in awarding PhD increment to teachers.