The Association of University Teachers (AUT) and All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisation (AIFUCTO) have expressed displeasure over re-employment of incumbent principals (after their retirement) by some private aided college managements in Tamil Nadu.
Terming the practice as “illegal” and “undesirable”, P. Jayagandhi, National president of AIFUCTO and State President of AUT, said the Government Order 350, by which the recent UGC revised scales of pay had been implemented categorically states thus: “Age of retirement is 58. There shall be no re-employment beyond the age of superannuation.”
The UGCalso fixed the tenure of College Principals as five years, as long innings for incumbent Principals would jeopardise the chances of others, Prof. Jayagandhi said, appealing to the Department of Higher Education, Government of Tamil Nadu, to reject any proposal for service-extension of Principals beyond superannuation.
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In a press release, Prof. Jayagandhi said that in Tamil Nadu, there are only two substantive posts in the Colleges –Assistant Professor and Principal. The Associate Professor and Professor posts exist only in the Universities as substantive posts, while in Colleges, Associate Professorship is only a designation and Professorship is yet to be created. As such, several teachers with more than 30 years collegiate service retire from service without any promotion at all. Extension of Service to the incumbent Principals against the letter and spirit of the GO further nullifies the chances of a few qualified teachers to become Principals.
Besides, the “ulterior motive of the managements behind such proposal to extend the services of Principals is very much anti-academic, anti-teacher and (amounts to) proliferating commercialization of higher education.
Opposing the “pernicious practice” of private aided college managements in Tamil Nadu, the AUT urged the Department of Higher Education to reject any such proposal from any management.
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