Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Oct 16: Without implementing revised Academic Performance Indicator (API) and UGC Minimum Qualification for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff as envisaged in 6th Pay Commission, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology (SKUAST) Kashmir has gone ahead with issuance of fresh advertisement for recruitment of Professors and Associate Professors.
The notification, issued by SKUAST-Kashmir, vide advertisement notice number 03 of 2016, dated 10-10-2016, has invited applications for the positions of Professors, Associate Professors and Assistant Professors in the Faculty of Fisheries, without minimum score for API for direct recruitment in teaching as eligibility criteria, thus raising many eyebrows.
Pertinent to mention that the State Government, in its separate letters, dated 05.08.2016, had asked SKUAST of Jammu and SKUAST of Kashmir as to what procedure was followed by these two Agriculture universities for appointment and promotions of teachers since UGC regulations of 6th Pay Commission?
The universities, in their reply, informed that the score card of ICAR was used for evaluating the performance of applicants in case of appointments.
However, the ICAR, vide its letter, F. No.37(3)/2012-Per.IV, dated 14-12-2015, to SKUAST, had already clarified that the State Agriculture Universities are under the administrative control of the concerned State Government and thus the Council has no role in concurrence of the draft score cards of these Agriculture Universities. Following, this, the draft files for approval of revised API score and CAS were routed through the State Agriculture Production Department.
Now, when the Government and Governor’s secretariat have given go ahead for Academic Performance Indicator (API) score card for Carrier Advancement Scheme (CAS), nothing is known about API score card for direct appointments.
On being enquired, sources told the Excelsior that the Agriculture universities had not submitted API score card applicable for fresh appointments.
Since the score card of ICAR is not applicable to State Agriculture Universities and more so the score card of ICAR that SAUs adopting became redundant after ICAR formulated new score card for appointments after implementing 6th Pay Commission recommendations of UGC, the fresh advertisement for the new recruitments of Professors and Assistant Professors in SKUAST-Kashmir, has raised many eye brows.
According to the sources, the appointments effected as per 6th Pay Commission recommendations without following and maintaining standards as prescribed by UGC including not applying API scores for appointments, is violation of guidelines. It is getting all the benefits of 6th UGC recommendations but without API score card wherein only 20 percent is meant for interview, sources added.
By making advertisements for appointments of Associate Professors and Professors without API score card for appointments in place, SKUAST of Kashmir has again violated UGC regulations endorsed by Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture Government of India which clearly states “The UGC vide its notification of 2010 has notified qualifications for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in universities and colleges and maintenance of standards in higher education”.
Now as the second amendment (Regulations, 2013) of UGC has to be substituted with (4th Amendment), Regulations 2016, called the University Grants Commission (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) (4th Amendment), Regulations, 2016, with immediate effect so how come the SKUAST Kashmir apply defunct ICAR score card?
Despite repeated attempts, Registrar of SKUAST-Kashmir could not be contacted for his comments over the development.
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