Jammu & Kashmir People’s Movement has called for revocation of the “cooling period” for PhD holders who want to apply for teaching posts in the National Institute of Technology, Srinagar. As per this provision, candidates who have completed their Ph.D. Degrees from the Institute are barred from applying for teaching posts there for a period of three years.
In a statement here the JKPM president Dr Shah Faesal calledit a discriminatory rule that serves no purpose other than creating unnecessaryproblems for the residents of J&K. “It makes absolutely no sense to deprivea candidate of his or her choice of institute for such a long time. Leave asidesetting a quota for the local aspirants, they are not even given the option tobe automatically get selected for the NIT of their home state. Upon a closerlook, this provision appears more as a tool to deprive the inclusion of localfaculty in their local NIT than anything else.”
The JKPM general secretary Shehla Rashid referring to a news story carried by Greater Kashmir on14 June said that this rule is not set in stone, as can be inferred from howvarious states are handling this issue. “Faculty positions are advertisedwithout any cooling period in places like Manipur, Mizoram, Megahalya, Agartalaand Rourkela. If the institutions in those states can function without anyproblems while not implementing the cooling period rider, why not NIT Srinagar?Many of these states have 50% reservation for their candidates however ouradministration doesn’t seem bothered by the genuine concerns of the local Ph.D.holders.”
Shehla Rashid added that many of the faculty members whooppose this provision are being systematically pressured to withdraw theirobjections. “The recent removal of Prof Shagufta Rasool Shah as the Head of theDepartment of Civil Engineering without any due procedure is a case in point.Such unjust harassment must be stopped. As an alumnus of the institute, I amdeeply disappointed with the manner in which she has been removed without asmuch as an inquiry. This is against principles of natural justice. JKPM demandsthat Prof. Shah should be reinstated as HOD at the earliest.”
Adding his voice to this demand, Dr. Shah Faesal said that,”the manner in which Prof. Shagufta Shah has been removed is arbitrary,unethical and illegal. We demand the immediate reversal of this move, as itwill have a chilling effect upon the NIT community who will hesitate in voicinggenuine concerns regarding administrative affairs.”