AAPECOM urges
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 10 2014: Referring to the recent Cabinet decision to appoint 703 college teachers, the Association of Assistant Professor Eligible Candidates of Manipur (AAPECOM) has appealed to the State Government to appoint the college teachers through Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) in open and transparent manner strictly in accordance with the UGC RR 2010 .

UGC notices dated October 12, 2012 and October 10, 2010 which were addressed to the Vice Chancellors of State/Central Universities and Education Secretaries of Union Territories on "Compliance of UGC Regulations in respect of minimum qualification of Lecturer/Assistant Professors" clearly laid down that UGC rules and regulations should be strictly complied with while filling vacant posts and recruitment against newly created posts.

According to the UGC Regulation 2010 and the UGC Regulations 2009, the minimum qualification for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in universities and colleges is NET/SLET/SET or PhD.

Even though the State Governments have no authority to defy UGC regulations during recruitment of college lecturers, the Cabinet decision to regularise 418 part-time lecturers of the colleges of Manipur contravenes guideline/instructions/rulings of UGC, HRD Ministry and the Supreme Court, said a press release issued by AAPECOM.

According to a gazette notification of the Government of India, funds sanctioned under UGC Grant can be cancelled if UGC guidelines are flouted during recruitment/appointment.

Even recognition granted to colleges can be withdrawn.

Incidentally, colleges in Manipur are being run with 80 per cent funding from the UGC while the State Government accounts for 20 per cent.

This evokes a serious question whether the State Government can run the colleges in the event of withdrawal of UGC funding.

Education being included in concurrent list, the Central Government has all the right to interfere as and when the situation demands.

However, a group of college teachers who were regularized in 2002 even though they did not fulfil the eligibility criteria still remain eligible in spite of a Gauhati High Court verdict which said that they (regularized teachers) should make themselves eligible within three years.

In case the Union HRD Ministry and the UGC deem it essential to interfere with regard to the recent Cabinet decision to regularize 418 part-time lecturers, the status of higher education in Manipur would fall in great peril, AAPECOM cautioned.

This faulty recruitment initiative may also rob all the benefits entitled to the State under RUSA.

Regularization on the excuse that they (part-time lecturers) have suffered too long is not permitted by the Supreme Court.

A Supreme Court ruling issued by Justices GP Mathur and Dalveer Bhandari said, "It would be improper for the Courts to give directions for regularization of services of the person who is working either as daily-wager, adhoc employee, probationer, temporary or contractual employee, not appointed following the procedure laid down under Article 14 (equality before law), Article 16 (equality of opportunity in matters of public employment) and Article 309 (recruitment and conditions of service of persons serving the Union or a State) of the Constitution.

In our Constitutional scheme, there is no room for back door entry in the matter of public employment" .

Given these conditions, the State Government ought to recruit only the qualified candidates.

Giving undue advantage to unqualified teachers on the excuse that they have suffered long would prove to be a costly blunder, particularly to the State's education sector, it cautioned.

AAPECOM also sought public cooperation towards its initiative for appointment of qualified teachers.

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