College teachers demand increase in retirement age

An association of college teachers Tuesday demanded their retirement age be increased by two years according to the University Grants Commission guidelines. 

Professor Tariq Ashai, president of the College Teachers Association (CTA) said collage teachers have been meted discriminatory treatment by the J&K government which had already increased the retirement age of teachers in SKUAST Kashmir and SKUAST Jammu from 60 to 62 years.

   

“Even the retirement age of professors in medical colleges has been enhanced to 62 years but age of superannuation for college teachers is still 60 years,” Ashai told reporters here, adding that as per UGC guidelines the retirement age for college and university teachers should be the same.

“A certain group of people with malafide interest have started a campaign against our legitimate and justified demand of removing disparity with respect to the age of superannuation between university and college teachers.”

The CTA president questioned the government, saying that the university and college teachers were part of the same department governed by the same set of UGC rules and guidelines issued from time to time.

“There is no difference in terms of qualification, eligibility for post, service conditions, career advancement and scheme in pay and grade. But the government has created a difference in age of superannuation which is unjustified,” Ashai complained.

He also said the standing guideline from UGC states that age of retirement should be 65 for both college and university teachers. 

“But J&K state is yet to implement it here while as in other states the guidelines are being implemented.”

Prof Ashai said only 2700 out of 3500 sanctioned posts of teaching staff in degree colleges have been filled up till date out of which 1600 posts were filled during 2016 -17.

“800 posts of teachers are vacant in various colleges due to which 40 percent staff in colleges has been hired on contract basis to teach students,” he said. 

He revealed the department has hired nearly 3600 contractual teachers – 2200 in Jammu and 1400 in Kashmir – for staff deficient colleges.

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