The Punjab and Haryana high court has restrained the Haryana government from proceeding further with the recommendations made for the promotion of associate professors to professors in various Haryana colleges in 13 subjects.
The plea was filed by 22 associate professors from the state challenging the proceedings undertaken by the education department. As per the petitioners’ lawyer, Sajjan Singh, the order has been passed in the case of those cases considered in subjects of English, mathematics, psychology, geography, commerce, computer science, zoology, defense studies, economics, chemistry, botany and physical education and recommended in September, October and November this year.
As many as 99 associate professors from different colleges of the state were recommended as professors, which also include these 13 subjects.
These promotions are being done under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS), which as per plea have been done in an arbitrary manner by the committee constituted for screening of applications. It was submitted that the proceedings sheets have not been signed by all the members constituting the committee as per the documents which were uploaded on the website of the education department. The signatures of only three members (out of total five members) constituting the committee are reflected on the proceeding sheets and that too on the last page only, it said, adding that other pages of the proceedings have not even been signed by any of the members of the committee; thus leaving scope for addition/interpolation on such unsigned pages of proceedings.
Pointing to some alleged anomalies, the plea said in the subject of computer science, evaluation is stated to have been carried out in respect of subjects of mathematics and economics, respectively. There also appears to be some interpolation in one case where the candidate was shown recommended but apparently the word “not” has been erased. Hence, it appears the proceedings have not been conducted in a fair manner, it was submitted.
{{/usCountry}}Pointing to some alleged anomalies, the plea said in the subject of computer science, evaluation is stated to have been carried out in respect of subjects of mathematics and economics, respectively. There also appears to be some interpolation in one case where the candidate was shown recommended but apparently the word “not” has been erased. Hence, it appears the proceedings have not been conducted in a fair manner, it was submitted.
{{/usCountry}}The bench of justice Harsh Bunger, while seeking response by December 14, has ordered that in the meanwhile, further proceedings in pursuance to the recommendations made would remain stayed till the next date of hearing.