Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Mar 1: Higher education sector in Jammu and Kashmir is in crisis as around 200 research scholars may lose their academic guides in the next two years due to delay in increasing Professors’ retirement age at two prominent Varsities.
According to sources, the retirement age for Professors at the University of Jammu and the University of Kashmir was supposed to increase from 62 to 65 years, in line with the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) guidelines. However, the Government’s delay in implementing this decision has put the future of several research scholars in jeopardy.
“The fact that the order is not being implemented in these two Universities despite being implemented in other Universities is particularly unfortunate. I am not sure why this discrimination is taking place despite the Lt Governor’s announcement,” a Professor at the Kashmir University said.
After launching the yearly youth festival “Sonzal 2022” at the University of Kashmir, the LG declared on November 23 last year that the retirement age for University staff would rise from 62 to 65 years in order to alleviate the staff shortage in Universities. Although approximately two months have passed and some senior Professors have retired from their positions, the directive has still not been issued, raising concerns among University staff members.
As per University regulations, every research scholar is assigned a guide who helps them throughout their academic journey. However, with the retirement of most of the senior Professors in the next two years, many research scholars will be left without a guide, leading to a halt in their research work. “The problem is made worse by the fact that a Professor is not allowed to mentor students a year before his scheduled retirement, as per University regulations,” a Professor said.
The delay in increasing the retirement age has also caused concern among the academic community, who believe that the move could have far-reaching consequences for the higher education sector in the J&K. Many experts have called for the Government to expedite the decision and provide a solution to the problem as soon as possible.
“The delay in increasing the retirement age has created a severe crisis for the academic community, especially for research scholars who are in the process of completing their PhDs. It is a matter of grave concern, and the Government needs to act fast to ensure that the situation is resolved,” said a Professor.
The issue has also caught the attention of the student community, with many expressing their concerns over the possible delay in completing their academic degrees. “It is very frustrating for us to see that our future is at risk because of the Government’s delay in increasing the retirement age of Professors. We urge the Government to take swift action to ensure that our academic careers are not jeopardized,” said a research scholar.
Alok Kumar, the Principal Secretary for Higher Education, told Excelsior that the Government is already working to tackle the issue.
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