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Central service rules for aided colleges: PU Syndicate to take up matter
At present, the retirement age for the teachers in colleges is 60 years. However, it will be enhanced to 65, if the notification of the ministry is implemented
The implemention of central service rules for teachers in Chandigarh-based Panjab University-affiliated aided colleges will be discussed in the Syndicate meeting on Monday.
The Chandigarh Employees (Conditions of Service) Rules, 2022, were notified in March and came into force from April 1. However, 500 teachers at seven aided colleges in the UT have not benefitted from the same. The teachers of aided colleges have lodged repeated protests to press for implementation of the notification issued by the home ministry in March. While considering the matter, the Syndicate in November resolved to defer the matter until the decision by a committee constituted by the Chandigarh administration under home secretary was received.
At present, the retirement age for the teachers in colleges is 60 years. However, it will be enhanced to 65, if the notification of the ministry is implemented. Moreover, teachers are yet to get the benefit of revised UGC pay scales as per the seventh pay commission.
During the last meeting of the Syndicate, Amandeep Singh Bhatti, director higher education, UT, had said that the matter had already been referred to a committee which has been constituted under the home secretary and they are waiting for the outcome.
Reservation in promotion
The Syndicate will also take up the issue of implementing a policy for granting reservation in promotion of non-teaching staff.
The syndicate will consider the recommendations given by a varsity panel in November. The panel was constituted after the PU senate – the varsity’s apex governing body – in March gave its nod to adopt the policy on reservation in promotion of non-teaching staff. The matter has been under deliberation for months now.
The panel in November recommended that the percentage of reservation in promotion be defined cadre-wise and approved by the competent body before it is finalised. It also recommended that the date of implementation of the reservation roster in promotion should also be approved by the competent body, and it should be prepared cadre-wise.
Notably, there is no such percentage of reservation in promotion under PU regulations and the draft roster has been prepared as per the percentage for direct recruitment in PU calendar with percentage of Scheduled Caste candidates as 15%.
However, as per the Punjab Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes (reservation in services) Act, 2006, the percentage of reservation for filling up the vacancies by promotion by SC in group ‘A’ and group ‘B’ services is 14% and the percentage of reservation in group ‘C’ and group ‘D’ services is 20%.
Prior to the senate meeting on March 27, the Punjab government had informed the university that pending grants for the 2021-22 financial year will lapse if the reservation in promotion was not implemented soon. Therefore, immediately after the senate’s decision in March, PU had formed a committee for the implementation of the policy.
Before the March 27 meeting of the PU senate, the Panjab University General Category (welfare) Association (PUGCA) had written to the vice-president of India, opposing the implementation of reservation in promotion.
Pending exam fee from colleges
The Syndicate will also consider the status of pending examination fee (with late fee) from different affiliated colleges for examinations conducted up to May-June 2022, verified up to September 7, 2022. Around ₹9 crore is pending with dozens of affiliated colleges of the university. The issue of arrears of examination fee with late fee from scheduled caste, economically weaker sections and other category of students from different affiliated colleges has been pending since a long time.
The vice-chancellor had constituted a committee to look into the issue and on the basis of recommendations of the committee, the office of the dean college development council (DCDC) issued individual notice to concerned colleges. In response, only ₹52 lakh was received and huge dues are still pending.
Other items
The Syndicate will also take a decision on the eligibility criterion and number of seats for PhD programmes to be started from the current academic session (2022-23) in hotel management as well as tourism management at University Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management (UIHTM). The executive body will consider the eligibility criteria of MBA (infrastructural management) to be intruded from the 2023-24 academic session.
