The Kurukshetra University Teachers’ Association (KUTA) has urged Haryana Chief Minister (CM) Nayab Singh Saini to convert the posts of teachers working on a regular basis under the Self-Finance Scheme (SFS) into budgeted posts.
The association in a memorandum also requested the CM to address the anomalies in the revised UGC regulations applicable to higher education institutions.
As per the information, KUTA President Dr Jitender Kumar and President of the Kurukshetra University Non-Teaching Employees’ Association (KUNTEA) Rajwant Kaur met the CM and submitted the demands.
The KUTA President said nearly 85 teachers and 250 non-teaching employees are currently serving on a regular basis under the SFS in various departments and institutes of Kurukshetra University.
These teachers were selected through the same prescribed qualifications and rigorous selection procedures as budgeted faculty members and have been making significant contributions to teaching, research, and academic development for nearly two decades.
He further said the SFS was introduced in 2005 to strengthen the financial position of the university and launch professional and employment-oriented courses.
At present, 13 out of 47 departments and institutes of the university are functioning under the SFS, catering to nearly 5,000 students.
These programmes, offered in disciplines such as law, pharmacy, management, fine arts, engineering, mass communication and media technology, play a crucial role in enhancing employability and skill development among students in line with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
KUTA President further stated that the University Review Committee had recommended in its report in 2011 that all SFS courses running successfully for more than five years should be converted into budgeted courses. The Higher Education Department had also sought action taken reports from universities regarding the implementation of this recommendation.
However, the process was subsequently halted. Therefore, the government should take a positive decision and implement the recommendation at the earliest.
The associations have also demanded that the retirement age of university and college teachers be enhanced from 60 years to 65 years in accordance with the UGC Regulations, 2018.
Jitender Kumar said that at a time when higher education institutions are facing an acute shortage of qualified and experienced faculty members, the expertise and services of senior academicians should continue to benefit students, researchers, and institutions.
KUTA also demanded that the faculty members who have already fulfilled, or are likely to fulfil shortly, the eligibility requirements for promotion under the earlier API/Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) should be given the option to be considered for promotion under the previous regulations. In the absence of such a provision, many teachers who have spent years achieving the required academic credentials for promotion are being adversely affected.
KUNTEA President Rajwant Kaur said that they are confident that the CM would sympathetically consider these genuine demands and take appropriate steps to strengthen higher education and enhance academic excellence in Haryana.
