Teaching and non-teaching staff of UT colleges can work from home till July 31

College principals were told to ensure that the online admission process and other related activities are carried on smoothly and for that, they were allowed to call the required staff at their own level

Teaching and non-teaching staff of government and aided colleges in Chandigarh have been allowed to work from home till July 31. An order regarding this was released by the UT higher education department on Monday.

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There has been a growing concern among teachers after the higher education department last month had directed the government and aided colleges to ask 50% of their teaching and non-teaching staff to report to work.

The order issued by the higher education department of Chandigarh reads, “The guidelines issued by the ministry of human resource development (MHRD) are hereby circulated for compliance by the faculty members, teachers, researchers, non-teaching staff working in government and government-aided colleges and institutions and they are permitted and advised to work from home till July 31.”

The UT education department had planned to review the orders after the MHRD permitted teachers to work from home.

Inderpal Singh Sidhu, an assistant professor at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26, said, “We have been demanding the provision to work from home since June 30 when the MHRD had notified the same. Nonetheless, we welcome the step taken by the UT higher education department.”

However, college principals were told to ensure that the online admission process and other related activities are carried on smoothly and for that, they were allowed to call the required staff at their own level.

Conducting elections during pandemic

Meanwhile, teachers at Goswami Ganesh Dutta Sanatan Dharma (GGDSD) College, Sector 32 have submitted a complaint to the president of Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU), after the College Teacher Union elections were held on Monday.

“This is completely against the instructions issued by competent authorities which suggest avoiding any sort of gathering or holding any such meetings which involve a large number of individuals. Despite the teachers demanding to withhold the election in view of safety of the staff, the elections were conducted on the campus today and also scheduled for tomorrow,” the teachers said.