Fresh Magadh varsity bid to re-appoint retired teachers

GAYA: Undeterred by the state government's virtual rejection of the Magadh Univerasity (MU) proposal to re-appoint retired teachers, the university would again be approaching the government for permission to re- appoint retired teachers. Earlier, the government issued seven points guidelines for the appointment of part-time teachers to meet the acute faculty shortage that plagues most of the institutions, particularly the 36 old constituent colleges of the university.The percentage of vacant posts in the old constituent colleges is much less in comparison to the overall faculty position.
According to MU VC Prof Md Ishtiaq, appointment of part-time teachers through the government prescribed mechanism was a time taking exercise and students of the academic session 2014 -15 are unlikely to be benefited as by the time the cumbersome recruitment process was over, the teaching season would end and exam season started. The government will again be requested to revisit the issue and permit the re- appointment of retired teachers in the larger interest of the students. However, the VC made it clear that retired teachers would be re-appointed only if the government permitted the same.
As per available data, nearly 60% of the 2,030 sanctioned posts in the 36 old constituent colleges are vacant. The university budget figure show that only 879 teachers are working in the 36 old constituent colleges against the 2,030 sanctioned posts. If that was not enough, the university recently decided to introduce PG teaching in several faculty starved colleges including Aurangabad, Jahanabad, Gaya and Biharsharif-based colleges thereby making the faculty shortage all the more acute and now that the government does not favour re-appointment of retired teachers, the problem has assumed more serious dimensions. The faculty shortage was more acute in rural and semi-urban colleges including colleges located at Barh, Daudnagar, Kaler, Nawada and Aurangabad.
The government as per the contents of the education department letter instead of re-appointing retired teachers, favours recruitment of part-time teachers having requisite qualification prescribed by the UGC. The UGC has made National Eligibility Test (NET) clearance mandatory for the post of assistant professors for all post 2009 appointments.
The retired teachers are automatically ruled out as none of the retired teachers fulfill the latest UGC criteria. Moreover, aspirants for part-time job in colleges and PG departments as per government guidelines will have to formally apply and face a five member selection committee headed by the VC. Most of the retired teachers will find it below their dignity to rub shoulders with freshers for part-time jobs carrying a remuneration of Rs 1,000 per class subject to a maximum of Rs 25,000 per month.