The State Cabinet on Thursday approved several proposals including filling up of vacant lecturer posts to attract the cream from the teaching community to government colleges.
The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, gave assent to the proposal of the Higher Education department to fill up 50 percent vacancies of junior lecturer and lecturer posts through direct recruitment to attract the best of the talents by paying salary at par with UGC.
‘’In order to attract best students towards teaching profession in government colleges, good salary package as provided under the norms of the University Grants Commission will be provided to the lecturers,” Chief Secretary BK Patnaik told mediapersons after the meeting.
Junior lecturers appointed under the Orissa Education Service (Higher Secondary Branch) Methods of recruitment and Condition of Service Rules, 1991 have no promotion avenues except one to the post of principal of junior college during the entire period of service.
Ironically, not a single junior lecturer has been given promotion in the past 20 years. At present, the posts of principal in many junior colleges are being manned by Readers. Although the Government framed new rules in 2009 to create promotion avenues for the junior lecturers, it could not be implemented due to incongruities.
As per the revised rules, a junior lecturer on completion of eight years of service with satisfactory performance was eligible for promotion to lecturer. After 10 years as lecturer or 18 years of combined service, the next promotion would be Reader. A Reader after 8 years service would be eligible for promotion to principal. The promotion rule was applicable for college teachers in state pay scale.
In order to overcome the impasse, a high level meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary on July 27, 2010 decided that 50 percent vacancies under OES (college branch) cadre be filled up by way of direct recruitment and the rest 50 percent by way of placement from among the lecturers having requisite qualification as per UGC guidelines.
As per the draft recruitment rules, a junior lecturer (Group-B) will be eligible for placement to the post of lecturer (Group-A) after completion of eight years of continuous service and a Group-A lecturer on completion of 10 years will be eligible for promotion as Reader.