The higher education department continues to delay restoration of PhD increment for in-service assistant and associate professors of government degree colleges in Kashmir despite UGC directions allowing the benefits from June last year. The “delaying tactics” adopted by the department has enraged the teaching faculty working in the colleges. An official said, the entitlement of PhD increment for college and university professors was scrapped by the UGC in 2016 after the government implemented 7th pay commission for employees. “But in June 2018, the UGC restored this incentive for professors after facing countrywide agitation by college and university teachers which was organised by All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations and Federation of College and University Teachers’ Associations (FEDCUTA),” the official said.
However, J&K higher education department has shelved restoration of the emoluments to the teachers for unknown reasons. “It is disheartening. The continuous delay will result in accumulation of the arrears and we have apprehensions that the finance department will later stonewall the process by citing lack of funds,” said an assistant professor. He said the increment was restored by Kashmir University and Jammu University for its professors but higher education department was unnecessarily delaying the process. According to the UGC the increment for college professors with PhD degree is 3% of the basic pay of the assistant and associate professors. “PhD increment gives a hike of Rs 5000 for assistant professors and Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 for associate professors,” said another assistant professor. The UGC guidelines say any college professor having completed PhD before recruitment in the higher education department gets five increment and those who are pursuing PhD degree after being recruited are entitled for three increments. Secretary higher education department said they have received a representation of assistant professors regarding the issues and it is being examined.