The ongoing recruitment process for the appointment of assistant professors and professors at National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar has evoked criticism over the alleged discrepancies in the process.
As already reported by this newspaper, the NIT Srinagar on February 07, 2020 issued a recruitment notification for appointment of assistant professors in different faculties.
Around 76 posts including 59 posts of grade-I and grade II assistant professor, 13 posts of associate professors and 04 posts of Professor were advertised by the institute.
However, the curbs on high speed internet created impediments for the majority of the candidates to apply for the post, leaving them at the receiving end.
Days after the Greater Kashmir report, the NIT on Wednesday issued a notice wherein it has stated that the grievances of the aggrieved candidates will not be addressed.
The registrar NIT in the public notice has stated that large number of representations were received for consideration of candidature for a lower level of assistant professor post than the level the candidate has applied for and declared as ineligible.
“For example a candidate applied for G1, L12 and was declared not eligible, now they have represented to consider their candidature for a lower level say G-II, L11 or G II-, L10,” the notice reads, adding that the institute decided that such requests will not be considered.
The aggrieved candidates however said the institute should have considered their grievance as it would only make them eligible to appear in exam not for direct appointment.
The NIT in its recruitment notification had stated that the calculation of cooling period will be fixed till June 30. Also, the notification stated that the candidates whose cooling period ends post June 30 were not eligible for the recruitment.
However, the NIT has recently decided to consider March 31 of 2021 as the date of Joining for calculation of the cooling period rider.
The rider of cooling period bars the candidates, who have completed their Ph.D. Degrees from the institute, from applying for teaching posts there for a period of three years.
However the candidates accused the NIT administration of playing with the career of the educated for their vested interests.
“Earlier, they barred those candidates whose cooling period would get over after June 30 of 2020. Most of the candidates did not apply. Now, they changed the date without opening the link for those who didn’t apply earlier. Extension doesn’t serve any purpose for the candidates. It is merely an eyewash,” said an aggrieved candidate.
The aggrieved candidates also accused the NIT of floating MHRD norms saying that any recruitment process if not completed within six months has to be re-advertised.
“But a year has passed when the NIT advertised the posts. They continued with it instead of re-advertising the posts,” the candidate said.
The director NIT Prof. RakeshSehgal however said he has got a “special permission” from the Board to continue the recruitment process. “I cannot re-advertise the posts,” he said.
The candidates alleged that there was no transparency and accountability in the NIT as even the government was not paying heed to the discrepancies in the recruitment.
“We submitted our representation in J&K LG’s grievance cell and mailed it to MHRD as well. But no action has been taken as of now,” the candidate said.
The candidates also rued the NIT decision to take shortlisted candidates to New Delhi for the interview.
“Travelling to Delhi for interviews will add extra burden on the expenditure of the unemployed candidates. Instead of calling experts here, they are asking candidates to travel to Delhi,” another aggrieved candidate said.
Director NIT Srinagar, Prof RakeshSehgal said no expert was ready to visit the Valley to take interviews of the candidates.
“I am authorised to invite experts only from IITs and NITs for interviews. My worry is that no expert is willing to visit the Valley to take the interview. Candidates have to visit Delhi for interviews because interview is done as per the convenience of the experts not candidates,” he said.
He further defended the recruitment process and said, making excuses of slow speed internet was not justified. “This is the time for interviews and we cannot make changes in the process. Some people must be having a negative feeling about it but it has positive aspects as well. We cannot always satisfy everyone. People want nothing positive to happen here,” he said.
About the changes in calculation of cooling period, he said the cooling period was linked with the date of joining. “It has helped the local candidates,” he argued without explaining further. The aggrieved candidates however did not buy his argument.