Appointment ban to hit varsities
From Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Sept 15 — A virtual "ban" on new appointments (teaching and research) in universities imposed by the state government is likely to affect the higher education, as a number of posts in various departments of the varsities have been lying vacant. The decision will also affect the promotion prospects of teachers.

Apart from this, the "blanket ban" on permanent, ad hoc and part-time posts in the teaching and research wings of the universities is being viewed as clipping the wings of the Vice-Chancellors who enjoyed full autonomy so while making such appointments.

In demi official letters to the Vice-Chancellors of the universities, including Punjabi University and Guru Nanak Dev University, Mr Rakesh Singh, Education Secretary, has categorically instructed not to fill any post (teaching or research) without the permission of the state government. The demi official letter of the Secretary, Education, further reads that if there was urgency to fill the posts, the universities will have to seek permission from the Punjab Government by giving proper justification.

Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, Minister, Higher Education, has confirmed the despatch of demi official letters to the Vice-Chancellors of the universities. Justifying the letters, Mr Calcutta said "the hand which gives money must have some control for ensuring genuine appointments". He further said the procedure for making appointments in the universities was not being pursued in many cases which had necessitated this step. He said the state government had taken a number of steps to streamline the higher education in the state. "We want our universities to give degrees at par with the foreign universities". He said the government was ready to fill all genuine posts in the universities.

He said to ask the Vice-Chancellors to seek the permission of the state government while making any appointment was a step to "rationalise" the appointments. He further said when the state government was giving funds to Panjab University, Chandigarh, it did not have any fiscal control over it.

Mr Harbhajan Singh Soch, Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, when contacted by this correspondent, said he was hopeful that some "way out" would be found for making appointments in the university.

Mr Bikramjit Singh Guman, a former president of the GND Varsity Teachers Association, said there were more than 100 posts lying vacant in various departments of the university. He said the "ban" on new posts was aimed at withdrawing the "autonomy" from the universities.

The demi official letter of the Education Secretary also asked the Vice- Chancellors to supply the detailed information about the chairs, established after great personalities. He has also asked the Vice-Chancellors to give details of the posts, vacant posts and their source of funding. The letter further sought information about the performance of the chairs during the last three years.