The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

UT in a jam on scales of lecturers
By Chitleen K Sethi
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 14 — Chandigarh is one of the most active education centres of the region and is home to more than 20 technical and non-technical colleges along with a century old university. And yet over the past 10 years, the Administration has been involved in a seemingly endless tussle with the lecturers in the city. The problem is more acute in government colleges, especially non-technical colleges.

Posts in all disciplines have been sanctioned in all colleges in the city by the Administration on the basis of workload which is calculated on the basis of the number of students in a particular discipline. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recruits the Group A and Group B staff for government colleges, both technical and non-technical, according to the selection rules laid down by the University Grants Commission for a particular post. The technical colleges follow the selection rules laid down by the technical agencies working with the UGC like the All-India Council for Technical Education and the Indian Council of Medical Research.

Till some years ago, the UT Administration had been following the practice of taking these posts outside the purview of the UPSC and make appointments on an ad hoc basis. The Administration instead of putting pressure on the UPSC to hold interviews and select candidates on a regular basis, sought permission to make ad hoc appointments on its behalf. This resulted in the appointment of a large number of persons, on an ad hoc basis in many colleges of the city. Their number increased substantially over the years and after a lot of struggle these ad hoc lecturers were regularised by the UPSC in 1995-96 under a blanket order. Some 20 odd ad hoc lecturers continue to teach in the non-technical colleges of the city while some are in the technical and professional government colleges. A lecturer appointed on an ad hoc basis gets the same pay-scale as a regular lecturer, but as years of service increase the difference in their salaries widens. Many of these ad hoc appointees have now crossed the age to apply in case the UPSC holds interviews and their fate hangs in the balance even after having put in many years of service.

Then came the issue of part-time appointments. These were resorted to as they involved a meagre payment to those employed ranging from Rs 2200 to 3500 depending on the number of classes the lecturer took. Although the work they do is the same as in the case of a regular lecturer, the pay is almost one-third.

Part-timers were appointed in large numbers and made to quit after each session. They had to reapply and appear again for the interview to be inducted in the next session. Again no effort was made by the UT Administration to ask the UPSC to hold interviews for regular posts. It suited everybody to employ part-timers.

A related question is that of appointing deputationists in various colleges. The colleges in Chandigarh have been employing deputationists from Punjab and Haryana for many years. The part-timers went to CAT against the deputationists saying that no extension had been given to the deputationists since 1991 and the deputationists were illegally filling these posts. Some of these deputationists have been teaching in these colleges for more than 10 years and very few transfers have taken place.

The part-timers have also approached the court to be regularised, but in 1998 it was decided that the posts being held by the part-timers be advertised and selections made only after interviews by the UPSC. These posts were advertised almost one and a half years ago but till date the only response the applicants have received from the UPSC is a corrigendum issued this year in June. When these interviews are going to be held is anybody’s guess. The DPI’s (UT) office says that the interviews are going to be held soon but according to Mr KAP Sinha, “Chandigarh is the last priority for the UPSC; so it takes time to conduct these interviews.”

Another category of appointments that the colleges have been resorting to is the Guest Faculty who are taken on contract basis and paid according to the number of lectures that they take. This proves more expensive to the college than paying the part-timers as they are paid from the students’ fund.

The technical colleges have been having a regular interaction with UPSC regarding fresh recruitment and selection to various Group A and B posts. The interviews have been held regularly and the process streamlined. The major problem exists in the case of Chandigarh College of Architecture where many posts, including that of the Principal, have not been filled for many years. Similarly, a large part of the staff is ad hoc and the college has a large number of visiting faculty. Mr Ashok Sangwan, Joint Secretary, Home, UT Administration, says, “The number of colleges we handle is much less, and the criteria for selections are very clearly laid down. There is very little scope for ambiguity as far as their interpretation is concerned. On the other hand, rules of selection governing non-technical colleges are prone to misinterpretation resulting in their misuse”.

“The Administration has created a vicious circle for itself. It appointed deputationists, ad hoc lecturers and part-timers. Now all these are fighting against the Administration which is not ready to give them their due. Had the UPSC been allowed to carry out its functions, these problems would not have arisen in the first place.” Says Dr Charanjit Chawla, a veteran Panjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union leader.

The stalemate continues and the core of the problem remains that the UPSC has not conducted any interviews for Group A posts in Chandigarh’s non-technical colleges for the past many years. A few interviews were conducted for the posts of Principals but not lecturers.

Multani, Seraiki get a platform
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 14 — Where Urdu mushairas have almost become the order of the day, the one which was held here yesterday at Punjab Kala Bhavan brought out the nuances of the Seraiki and Multani languages, which were the medium for yesterday’s poetic symposium.

The symposium, organised by the Federation of Migrant Groups from North-West India (Pakistan), met with success and for reasons not far to seek. The poets who had gathered at the venue from places like Delhi, Shimla, Sonepat, Panipat, explored love in its many hues. Not just emotional issues were concentrated upon. The poets also launched an attack on the hypocrisy prevalent in society.

Prof Rana Ghanori, who conducted the mushaira and was the last poet to read his verses, extended a tribute to the martyrs of Kargil and eulogised them as heroes.

As Janab Dilbar from Sonepat set the mood, the wave of verses was carried forward by Subhash Multani from Delhi who filled the ambience with zeal as he read Shayar ki jitni umar badhe, utni hi jawani aati hai.

The most well received poet of the evening was Mahendra Pratap Chand from Haryana, whose verses landed straight in the heart as he read Ti ratin main luk luk rovan, ti ratin kumhlavan, kai kon dil da haal sunavan kai kun fut dikhavan.

The only woman who read poems in Multani was Sushila who sang a folk song. Janab Munavvar chose to attack the rotten political system which accepts the illiterate as leaders. People concurred with what he said, including Ae changa mulk e, aithe chandra vi swami ae.

The chief guest at the function was Prof J.S. Ahluwalia, Vice-Chancellor, Punjabi University.

This was another effort made by the federation to fulfil its commitment of preserving the rich culture of the various communities which migrated to India after partition.

Yesterday’s mushiara in Seraiki and Multani, the dominant dialects of West Pakistan, was meant to give a platform to the suppressed languages which have a history of contribution to the Punjabi literature.