E-Paper
Chandigarh: PUTA expresses resentment over director RDC appointment
PUTA has said the appointment violates the principle of seniority and has requested the vice-chancellor (V-C), Renu Vig to reconsider the decision. The university on February 9 had appointed professor Harsh Nayyar of botany department as new director RDC, replacing professor Yojna Rawat.
The Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA) has expressed resentment over the recent appointment of the director, Research and Development Cell (RDC), at the university.
The teachers’ body has said the appointment violates the principle of seniority and has requested the vice-chancellor (V-C), Renu Vig to reconsider the decision. The university on February 9 had appointed professor Harsh Nayyar of botany department as new director RDC, replacing professor Yojna Rawat.
PUTA in its letter to the V-C said, “While we appreciate the contribution of our teachers across the departments irrespective of their seniority, it is grossly unfair to deny the seniormost teacher his/her due by abruptly and arbitrarily discontinuing the time-tested practice. Seniority should not be seen as a liability, especially when such healthy conventions have saved the university from making arbitrary appointments.”
“We understand the vision of the V-C to introduce a more dynamic and problem-solving system in the university to promote and strengthen research activities, particularly to make it a hassle-free process for the principal investigators, but as learnt in the past, violation of principle of seniority while making appointment(s) against such position(s) has proven to be ineffective, ending up setting only wrong precedents,” PUTA wrote to the V-C.
What UGC says
The University Grants Commission (UGC) 2022 guidelines for establishment of RDC in higher education institutes (HEIs), state, “The research governance will have a Research Advisory Council (RAC) headed by the vice-chancellor/principal or his/her nominee as the apex body of the RDC. The director, nominated by the vice-chancellor among the distinguished researchers from the university, will head various committees to drive the governance.
Meanwhile, PU officiating vice-chancellor Renu Vig said the UGC has given guidelines to higher educational institutes to establish research and development cell and the guidelines clearly say that the director will be a professor who will strengthen research, innovation and technology development ecosystem.
“NAAC has a criteria research, innovation and extension. The university has evolved a mechanism that for all promotions, data verification will be done by the IQAC cell. Data for this NAAC criteria submitted by senior faculty of PU for the assessment period 2017-22 was provided by the IQAC. Accordingly, the seniormost professor most suitable for the role as per UGC guidelines has been appointed,” she said.
