The Hindu : New Delhi News : Big pay hike for teachers proposed

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New Delhi

Big pay hike for teachers proposed

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The Pay Review Committee of the University Grants Commission (UGC) has recommended an increase of over 70 per cent in the pay scales of university and college teachers across the country besides other allowances.

The Committee, headed by Prof. G. K. Chadha, submitted its report to UGC Chairman S. K. Thorat here on Friday. Along with pay revision, new posts have also been recommended.

Addressing a press conference, Prof. Chadha said: “We have created extra positions at the university and college level and no position has got less than 70 per cent hike. There is a higher grade pay for every category.” Instead of lecturers, there will now be assistant professor who will become assistant professor (senior scale) in four years and then be promoted to assistant professor (selection grade) in five years. All three will be in the new pay band of Rs.15,600 to 39,100.

5 lakh beneficiaries

The recommendations, if implemented, will impact more than 5 lakh teachers including 285 universities and 6,000 colleges. The Committee has also proposed a new post of senior professor for any teacher with 10 years of experience as a professor.

“Another additional new post is that of Professor of Eminence. This title may be conferred on not more than 10 per cent of the total strength of professors in a university. This position will be bestowed on someone who has acquired national and international stature. The criteria for choosing them will be tough. In terms of pay package, professors of eminence and vice-chancellors will be at par (Rs.80,000),” said Committee member H. C. Narang.

“At the college level, the post of Reader will be replaced by associate professor. A new position of senior associate professor has been proposed as a third avenue of promotion for college teachers. We have also asked that the posts of professor should be sanctioned for direct recruitment in colleges for disciplines that have post-graduate teaching. There should be at least one post of professor in such disciplines,” said Prof. Chadha.

The new posts of senior associate professor and professor at the college level will be in the same pay band as that of a university professor but the grade pay will vary.

“The Committee has proposed an annual increment of 3 per cent of the basic salary including the basic pay and the grade pay with compounding effect. We have recommended five advance increments instead of the present four to a Ph.D. degree holder at the time of recruitment as assistant professor,” Prof. Chadha said.

Apart from academic allowances, there will be a special (duty) allowance for teachers serving in the North-Eastern region including Sikkim and Ladakh.

The age of superannuation of all college and university teachers across the country has been proposed at 65 years.

The Committee has sought that its recommendations be implemented in toto as a package with effect from January 1, 2006.

The UGC would hold a meeting to discuss the report early next week and hand it over to the Union Human Resource Development Ministry on October 9, said Prof. Thorat.

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