The Association of University Teachers (AUT) expects the State Government to make a favourable announcement as regards filling of teaching vacancies numbering around 2,000 and all non-teaching vacancies in the 163 aided colleges in its last budget of the current term.
A provision must be made in the Budget for automatically filling the vacancies that arise due to death, retirement and resignation without waiting for government sanction every year. Compassionate appointments must be permitted over and above the existing cap of five per cent of total vacancies, by creating supernumerary posts if necessary, AUT Tiruchi Zone secretary K. Pandiyan said in a press release.
As a prelude to World Classical Tamil Conference at Coimbatore and as a step towards growth of Tamil in the state, the state government should permit all aided colleges to start B.A. Tamil and M.A. Tamil under the grant in aid code, with sanction of aided teaching posts for the same. Also, permission must be granted for aided colleges to start parallel aided courses in Tamil medium along with the necessary aided teaching staff for running these courses, he said terming the demands as AUT's wishlist.
Glaring anomalies in the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission must be rectified without any further delay in this budget. All pending arrears must be released in lumpsum, especially for the retired employees. The monetary effect for the Pay Commission must be given with effect from 01.01.2006 as granted for Central Government employees, and the arrears for the calendar year 2006 must be released in one go through budget provision. Age of retirement of college teachers must be raised as per the instructions of the UGC, the release said.
The AUT also expects an assurance from the Government to drop the move to convert aided colleges and government colleges into unitary universities.
More funds should be allocated to education for enhancing quality and increasing gross enrolment ratio in higher education. Teachers keenly wish that there be a university in every district, Prof. Pandiyan said.
