Given the working load of Degree Colleges of J&K, thousands of candidates are working on contractual basis since years together on the nominal wage rate. Keeping in view Public Service Commission (PSC) of J&K has advertised a minuscule posts for higher education which raised a question mark for those candidates who have invested everything in terms of time and money for their education but unfortunately these candidates do not have any scope in higher education as per the criteria set by the Higher Education Commission (J&K) which exclusively contradicts the Regulation of University Grants Commission on certain grounds.
As in every State and Union Territories of the country, University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations are being followed for the recruitment but why not in J&K and what is special in J&K as Higher Education Commission (J&K) in no respect is higher than the University Grants Commission (UGC) rather cannot surpass the UGC regulations.
Since, University Grants Commission (UGC) is a Legislative body for regulating the Higher Education, therefore, University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulation must be followed in letter and spirit for the recruitment of Assistant Professors but unfortunately University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulation-2021 has been surpassed by the Higher Education Commission (J&K) in the notified advertisement of Assistant Professors.
Given the ‘inter-n-intra’ University variation in ‘marking-n-grading structure’, the pro-rata basis turns out to be inequitable in nature. Therefore, in order to overcome this, the UGC Regulation for the appointment of Assistant Professors came up with the ‘interval weight-age’ to academic credentials. It is pertinent to mention that PSC has advertised posts after decades that is why UGC have kept ‘BARS’ and ‘SCALES’ to capture the ‘Times Gaps’ or Interval of Percentages but unfortunately it has been underestimated by the Higher Education Commission(J&K).
Most of the candidates have extensively worked on contractual basis in various institutions since the completion of their doctorates. In the meantime they have almost crossed the age limit rather they are at the ‘verge of overage’ which makes them insecure and pathos on their future because neither their teaching experience nor their higher qualifications(Post Doctorate Degree) is being taken into consideration for the merit list. In this way, it seems that the notification for Assistant Professors is full of ambiguities rather than depicts a biased nature.
Nevertheless, thousands of lecturer posts in Higher Education as well as in School Education are vacant, but unfortunately these posts are being held for bilateral bureaucratic benefits through departmental promotions which indicates nothing but an axe on the legs of unemployed qualified youth.
In this backdrop, candidates are feeling helpless & hopeless to accommodate themselves in the given circumstances because their degrees seem to be useless. Therefore, they demand either to close the research programs in the Universities or to give full weightage to their higher qualifications otherwise they would come one road for their rights.
However, candidates took this matter to different concerned authorities (such as Public Service Commission & Higher Education Commission) many times but it all went in vain. Therefore, it is requested you’re good-self to look into the matter so that their future will not be stained.
Despite the aforesaid, candidates have now a ray of hope that Chair will direct the concerned authorities immediately to ‘rectify the notification as per the UGC Regulation’ rather candidates wishes the Chair to have creation of more posts and to club them with the given advertisement so that large chunk of the candidates will get adjusted. It is pertinent to mention here that the majority of candidates have almost crossed the age limit and there is nothing to hope for other than Chair’s sympathetic token of love.
Thank you in advance.
The author is Lecturer, Department of Economics, University of Kashmir.