Uncertainty over fate of faculty promoted, recruited since Sept 2010

Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, July 25: Suspense over date of implementation of revised Academic Performance Indicator (API) and UGC Minimum Qualification for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff as envisaged in 6th Pay Commission, in both the Agriculture Universities in Jammu and Kashmir, is likely to snowball into a controversy as uncertainty looms large over the fate of faculty members, promoted and recruited after September 2010.
While delay in approval of API score and Career Advancement Scheme has held up promotion of more than 200 faculty members as well as fresh recruitment in Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Jammu as well as SKUAST- Kashmir despite shortage of academic staff, implementation of the same with retrospective effect is likely to hit those promoted and recruited under the old scheme even after publication of Government gazette in this regard.
Since the ball is in State Government’s court following Governor N N Vohra’s direction for the same, both the universities are in suspense over the possible date of implementation of new provisions and API scores, envisaged under 6th Pay Commission. On the other hand, the faculty members are apprehensive of being adversely affected for the wrong done by then university authorities at the helm of affairs, who did not adhere to the new provisions and implementation of the API scores for allegedly benefitting their blue eyed.
Pertinent to mention that then Financial Advisor to the Universities (University of Kashmir, University of Jammu, SKUAST- Jammu and SKUAST-Kashmir) with the approval of the Chancellor of the universities, issued the orders for revision of pay vide No. A/78 (88 II) dated 31.07.2009,   governed by the clause 2 under the captioned- Revised Pay Scales, Service Conditions & Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) for teachers and equivalent positions and other relevant guidelines of the MHRD Notification No. 1-32/2006-U.II/U.I (id) dated 31-12.2008.
These UGC guidelines (called as UGC Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and other Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education -Regulations, 2010) of pay revision were later published in the Gazette of India on September 18, 2010.
In pursuant to the  said order and publication of the Gazette of India on September 18, 2010, University of Kashmir got modalities and API for appointments and CAS of teachers notified on 07.09.2011 vide No : F 10 (Modalities-UGC)RC/KU/2011 Dated: 7 .09.2011 and the same was implemented mutatis mutandis by University of Jammu. However, SKUAST of Jammu and SKUAST of Kashmir did not initiate the process of finalizing the modalities for appointment and CAS even after ratification of the Financial Advisor’s order by the Board of Management in its 13th meeting held on 06.07.2009.
Moreover, without formulating the modalities for appointments and promotions of teachers as well as Academic Performance Indicator (API) till 2015, both the Agriculture universities, kept on making fresh recruitments and promotions in gross deviation of new provisions for allegedly benefitting some blue eyed persons.  Associate Professors were appointed in pay band of Rs 8000, which does not exist after 2009 and they were further up graded in the pay band of Rs 9000 without interview.  These promotions were given without approval of Board of Management, which was again illegal, sources said.
The universities kept avoiding the new provisions till last year, when the then Chief Minister late Mufti Mohd Sayeed intervened and directed for implementation of revised API scores as well as UGC guidelines.  After the modalities in this regard were finalized and the file was sent to the Governor, who is Chancellor of both the universities,  he advised for having  got the same clearly vetted by ICAR (Indian Council of Agriculture Research)  at the first instance before being considered by the respective University Councils  for approval.
However, the ICAR, vide its letter, F. No.37(3)/2012-Per.IV, dated 14-12-2015, to SKUAST, once again clarified that the State Agriculture Universities are under the administrative control of the concerned State Government and thus the Council has no role in concurrence of the draft score cards of these Agriculture Universities.
Thereafter, the draft files for approval of revised API score and Career Advancement Scheme were routed through the State Agriculture Production Department, which has yet to give it concurrence to the same.
Even as formal consent of the Government seems a matter of days, both the universities and more particularly their faculty members are keeping the fingers crossed over date of implementation of new guidelines. Implementation of the scheme with retrospective effect of September 2010 is all set to create chaos like situation and hit a number of faculty members, who were promoted or recruited under the old scheme, sources explained and added that there was no clarity over the remedial measures for the wrongs done by then top authorities.
Such a situation would not have arrived if the SKUAST-Jammu and SKUAST-Kashmir  authorities had not sat over the matter for six long years unlike Jammu University and Kashmir University.

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