FEGOCTA to Take Legal Option on Issue of Regular Principals

12th October, 2014

132 /FEGOCTA-2014

“FEGOCTA to Take Legal Option on the Issue of Regular Principals and Condemns Bureaucratization of Higher Education”

Federation of Government College Teachers’ Associations, Manipur (FEGOCTA) decides to take legal course of action if the proposed interview of only the three candidates for the posts of the regular College Principals out of 49 “Eligible” by Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) is not cancelled within ten days (by 20th October, 2014).

The government should implement FEGOCTA’s pending demands to re-advertise all the twenty five posts of regular Principals based on the Recommendations of National Seminar on UGC Regulations on API organized by FEGOCTA on 10 March, 2014. Unfortunately government and MPSC went ahead for the interview of three candidates fixed on 17 October 2014 now postponed until further orders.

FEGOCTA also condemns in the strongest term the bureaucratization of the higher education in Manipur by appointing IAS officers as the heads of Directorate of Education (U), BOSEM and COHSEM instead from the academicians. These decisions have been taken at FEGOCTA’s Executive Committee Meeting held on 7th October, 2014 at Imphal College. The representations in this regard have been already submitted to the concerned authorities including MPSC.

The government college teachers are shocked and disturbed by the hasty manner, non-transparency and violation of UGC Regulations in the process of the recruitment of twenty five regular Principals after more 20 years by Constitutional body -MPSC. There have been violations of the provisions of the UGC Regulations 2010 and 2013 right from the advertisement up to the selection of only three candidates out of 49 “Eligible” for the Interview by MPSC.

As per the new UGC Regulations, the state government first should issue an executive order & publish the same in Gazette for the direct recruitment of college Principals by specifying essential qualifications, relaxation of the marks, age/tenure, capping of API score claim or relaxation if any in sub-categories in Category III etc. Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) with Principal as the Chairperson and State Quality Assurance Cell are the authorities for certifying and maintaining the records of API (Academic Performance Indicator) score in transparent manner by using uniform format, objective and credible methodology of all the candidates.

The government and MPSC have not followed any of these UGC Guidelines. The government also failed to act on the demands of FEGOCTA to review of API score of 400 for the direct recruitment of college Principals to suit the local conditions in the state, Assam’s adoption of API score of 160 and West Bengal’s making research guidance as desirable not essential qualification.

Instead of taking up steps and announcing education policies for bringing quality and good higher education governance, the government has taken a regressive step by not following UGC Regulations and by bureaucratizing higher education. Such step is shameful when compared to the neighbouring states like Mizoram which has granted arrears to college teachers from 1-1-2006 and created posts of Professors in the colleges as per UGC Regulations and Assam who’s Director at the Directorate of Higher Education is headed from Assam Higher Education Service not by IAS. Such actions of the state government are against the established norms of autonomy of higher education bodies, effective educational policy making, national education policies, principals of good governance and transparency in the recruitment rules/procedure. Therefore the government should immediately revoke such orders and stop the bureaucratization of higher education.

FEGOCTA appeals to the government to implement demands of FEGOCTA to appoint regular Director at Directorate of Higher Education from academicians, to constitute State Higher Education Service to prevent irregularities in higher education governance ; grant arrears from 1-1-2006, creation of posts of Professors at the colleges, immediate release of 47 months of SCA and TA to the college teachers, orders for implementation of API for direct recruitment of the College Principals and for promotion under CAS, release of non-compounded advance increments to M.Phil and Ph.D. holders as per new UGC Regulations, promotion of eligible college teachers, filling up all the vacant posts of librarians and non-teaching staff, increased budget allocation for higher education etc.

(Dr. N. Somorendro Singh)
General Secretary, FEGOCTA