Heads we win, tails you lose
— On the appointment of retd college lecturers on contract basis —
— Denying their service extension —

Oinam Anand*

In spite of all the efforts of putting demands from the college lecturers about the extension of service period of the Govt. College lecturers, the Government acts in its own pre-determined course of not extending the service period of the lecturers.

As a result, many college lecturers had called it a day in their service carreer on the last day of the last month after completion of 59 years in their academic age.

The college lecturers have been demanding for a long time for the extension of their service period following the existing UGC RRs which allows the service of the college lecturers upto 62 years or even 65 if need arises. The state Govt. has given a deaf ear to the demand but wake up with a scheme of extending or engaging the retired college lecturers on contract basis upto june 2008.

Then in my humble view there will be no more humiliating treatment than this type of offer to the teachers, the custodians of the future generation. This shows the lack of determination on the part of the authority concerned about the education in the state.

There has been views in support and oppose of the extension of service period of the college lecturers as well as for other categories of State Govt. employees. One view specially from the educated unemployed younger generation wants to fill up the vacuum by nudging out the older generation from the arena.

Some section of people are of the view that in some human resource development areas like ‘Education’ the brains of older but experienced should be drained out completely for the benefit of the younger generations to come. Here comes out a debatable topic “Talent of the young versus the experience of the old” There are good reasons for disussing the topic.

Talent means an extra-ordinary quality in an individual in a certain areas of field. By acquiring inborn talent and hard labour a person may have excelled in a subject in an area of study. But when it comes to passing on the knowledge to others, experience comes to the fore front. It is where experience matters most but not the talent of the individual, who is young in the field.

Those talents and excellences may have some temporary attraction and value, but in the long run they can acquire enduring significance only in going with the context of the other works of the experienced older generations.

We often praise the isolated excellence of the young out of our ignorance of the value of long experience. Experience is a matter of much wider significance. It can’t be gobbled up in a few years by the new blood. If the talents want experience also then they must obtain it through years of labour.

Here lies the importance of continuing the service of experienced college lecturers in moulding the carreer of the students undergoing degree courses.

The authorities of the Education Deptt. might have known this, or they might have felt the premonition of impending shortage of college lecturers before any concrete arrangements in the coming months which forced the Govt. to offer extension of the service of the college lecturers on contrat basis. But the means doesn’t justify the end.

In the recuitment rules of the University Grants Commission, certain recommendations are there, First, the basic minimum qalification is an M.A. degree with 55 percent marks in the subject. Second, an additional qualification of NET or JRF or M.Phil or Ph.D should be possessed by a college lecturer.

Other desirable qualification in the UGC norms are that the lecturer should be the storehouse of knowledge for the students. He or she will be always available to the students if the students need him. There are also guidelines that the teacher should be housed in the campus of the college or Universities and should remain in the office atleast two hours after the normal working hours so that students can consult with him/her.

Above this the teacher will be well equiped with upto date knowledge in his field of teaching by attending seminars and study circles, presenting papers in many academic discussion.

Here comes the question marks put by the people of other spheres of activity, more by the educated youths about the service and dedication of present college lecturers about their contribution towards the students in the field of education. They blame that the old college lecturers lack enthusiasm in teaching due to age.

In the college premises, among themselves, they often talk of their desire of taking voluntary retirements. They often talk of continuing their services upto the implementation of sixth pay commission in the state.

They came to the college with plastic bags so that in their home journey they can buy vegetables and eatables from the market. How such people can concentrate on teaching. They should not be given service extension.

Yes, there must be truths in these allegations. But behind it there are also many college lecturers having the requisite qualification, plus merit, plus dedication who are always ready to offer their sevices for the students in all the 24 hours of the day.

Dr. E Geerani Singh, Prof. Pol. Sc of Manipur College, who is with me in an inspection team for the ongoing class-XII examination these days, during a discourse, has his opinion that the demand of the college lecturers for the extension of their service period at par with that of UGC is genuine and right.

By this extension it will not hamper the aspiration of the young. He remarked that by not extending the age but engaging again the lecturers on contract basis belittle the dignity of the lecturers and exposed the lack of will, the short sightness in bringing quality education in Manipur by those who are at the helm of the affairs of Education.

From the superannuation of some 40 odd college lecturers, the Govt. may get the feeling that a sizeable amount of money is saved monthly. But it is nothing when compared with the loss of brain, guiding spirits of the qualified and dedicated teachers.

We are not going to reach our goal through crookedness or flirting with evil in the hope that it may lead to good. The right end can never be fully achieved through wrong means.

The recent offering of the retd college lecturers again as contract employee has wounded the body and spirit of the teachers.