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Ludhiana: PAUTA stages protest over long-standing neglected issues
The faculty’s protest was not solely about internal matters; it was also focused on the administration’s handling of student grievances against teachers
The Punjab Agricultural University Teachers’ Association (PAUTA) on Tuesday staged a protest demanding redressal of long-standing faculty concerns. Major demands are the concerns related to faculty dignity, revised allowances, career advancement, pending promotions, pension schemes, house allotment, and transfer policies.
PAUTA spokesperson HS Kingra said, “We have gathered here to appeal authorities to address our long pending issues like revised allowances and parity in pay scales, Career Advancement Scheme and pending promotions, issues of basic-pay appointed teachers, Old Pension Scheme, house allotment, and implementation of Transfer Policy.”
The faculty’s protest was not solely about internal matters; it was also focused on the administration’s handling of student grievances against teachers. PAUTA expressed disappointment over what it termed an ineffective management approach and hasty decisions aimed at pacifying students. The association decried the administration’s alleged lack of foresight in responding to student concerns, without accounting for the subsequent impact on the faculty.
“The university has formed the respective committees to probe the matter. Then why are they taking decisions based on student pressure? The authorities should maintain their stance and have faith in the committees formed,” added Kingra.
The protest concluded after the authorities assured action on the demands of teachers by the first week of September.
Meanwhile, the stir has led to a sharp divide on campus, with students staging a counter-protest alleging a diversion tactic by faculty members.
Employing street theatre (nukkad natak) as their medium, the students conveyed their discontentment with the teachers’ perspective. They alleged that the professors were trying to divert attention from a harassment case and further their own grievances. They argued that faculty members were leveraging the situation to garner support for their demands.
Punjab Agricultural University Students Association (PAUSA) leader Babanpreet Singh said, “Of the seven demands laid by the teachers, we agree with six of them, with the dignity of teachers being the only point of contention. We protested against the teachers accused in the harassment case. It wasn’t by any means an attack on the dignity of all teachers. While PAUTA remained tight-lipped about the whole issue, now, by expressing their resentment, they are inadvertently shielding those teachers.”
