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Punjabi University's hiring process comes under scanner
The modus operandi of the Punjabi University, Patiala for teachers' recruitment on its campuses has come under scanner. Punjab and Haryana High court has issued a notice to the university on a civil writ petition filed by one of the aspirants, Neeru Garg of Bathinda. She alleged irregularities in the recruitment process by the university authorities to help their near and dear ones.
The modus operandi of the Punjabi University, Patiala for teachers' recruitment on its campuses has come under scanner. Punjab and Haryana High court has issued a notice to the university on a civil writ petition filed by one of the aspirants, Neeru Garg of Bathinda. She alleged irregularities in the recruitment process by the university authorities to help their near and dear ones.
The university had issued an advertisement on September 30, 2012 for recruiting many teachers, including one post each of assistant professor (economics) in the department of economics at Punjabi University, Patiala, and department of post-graduate studies at Punjabi University Regional Centre, Bathinda.
In the same advertisement the university had also sought applications for the post of assistant professor in commerce at Punjabi University TPD Malwa College, Rampura Phul. The petitioner claimed she applied for all the posts, but didn't get the job despite being eligible. She is a double MA and has 16 years of teaching experience.
Neeru smelt a rat in the hiring process when a Right to Information (RTI) inquiry reveled that she was issued the interview letter for the post of assistant professor in commerce at Punjabi University TPD Malwa College, Rampura Phul just one day before the interview date. She never received this letter, hence failed to appear for the interview.
The RTI also revealed that the varsity recruited a total of four economics professors even thought it had advertised for only two posts. She has challenged the policy of the university to recruit more staff than published in the advertisement.
"Posting the interview letter just one day before the interview is just one of the methods being adopted by the university to keep the deserving candidates away. The university is also violating the rulings of the Supreme Court by eating into the quota of reservation by creating additional posts at the time of interviews to help favourite candidates," said Ranjiv Goyal, an RTI activist from Rampuraphul. Demanding a CBI inquiry into this alleged scam, Goyal said, "The university has also made a joke of the RTI. I faced many hurdles, as authorities tried to deny the information by making one excuse or other."
It is not the first time when the recruitment process of university has been questioned. Hindustan Times in its report on May 30, 2012 had highlighted how the university was hurting the spirit of reservation by recruiting more staff during the interviews than published in the advertisements.
Goyal said the recruitment of staff on the Punjabi University College of Engineering and Management, Rampuraphul campus was a classic case of the alleged irregularities. He said the information received by him had revealed that the university had created additional posts at the time of interviews, which was a violation of the apex court directions.
Goyal said the college had only one teacher from the reserved category among the total staff of 25. "As per the rules, the college should have 8 to 10 teachers from the reserved category." He also informed that the number of teachers in various departments in the Rampuraphul college exceeded the sanctioned posts.
