Sunday, July 26, 2009

Govt to colleges: Pay salary as per UGC norms

TNN 26 July 2009


LUCKNOW: Director higher education Miyan Jaan on Saturday directed principals of all government and government-aided colleges in UP to make
arrangement for payment of salaries to teachers as per revised pay scales recommended by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for the month of July. The directorate would take over the job from August after completing required formalities and paperwork.

As per rules, the higher education directorate is the authority which fixes salaries of teachers but for the first time principals, as an exception, have been authorised to make payments for the month of July. The directorate would do the job from the next month. Reason: It would take at least a month for the directorate to do the required paperwork for the cause. Principals have also been asked to submit details of the payment made to the directorate for verification.

The decision was taken after TOI highlighted on Saturday how academic session in 12 state universities and 400 odd degree colleges in the state was facing a threat of derailment due to delay in implementation of the revised scales. Over 18,000 teachers in the government and government funded higher education institutes in the state had threatened to go on strike from August, if their demands were not met within a week, putting at risk the future of over 20 lakh students.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Higher education teachers in UP to get more salary

Source: (TNN 21 July 2009)


LUCKNOW: The state government has finally released the fitment tables, making way for the payment of "hiked salaries" to the higher education
teachers as per the recommendations of the University Grants Commission (UGC). However, the government order in this regard has failed to enthuse the teachers as it has come five months behind the schedule and does not include several key benefits recommended by the UGC such as increase in age of superannuation to 65 years and payment of arrears with effect from January 2006.

The UGC on the basis of the Chhadha Commission report, which was at par with the sixth pay commission, had recommended high pay scales for the teachers. The 80% of the expenses due to hike in the salary structure will be bore by the UGC and 20% by the state government. The UGC had also recommended to increase the superannuation age to 65 years, prescribed a new nomenclature for the posts and directed to pay arrears from January 2006. Further, the teachers were expecting that government order will include family planning increment, house rent allowance, maternity leave and child care leave.

"But barring fitment table, the government order does not mention anything else," said Moulindu Mishra, president, Lucknow University Associated College Teachers Association (LUACTA). He said that after release of fitment tables, teachers will start getting the enhanced pay. However, he added, that if government fails to take decision on other issues by July 28, LUACTA will take to streets. The teachers of the Lucknow University have also threatened to go on strike on the issue. In fact, efforts are also on to bring teachers from all over the state under one platform to launch a joint agitation.

Fitment tables define the salary slabs of the teachers as per their seniority and designations. The UGC had released the fitment tables long time ago following which the union ministry for human resource development had implemented the new scales in central universities. However, teachers in state universities, government and government-aided colleges had to wait for five months. The UGC guidelines on new scales also include increase in retirement age and make it mandatory for the state governments to follow all the recommendations for getting financial assistance required to implement the revised scales.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Orissa Govt considering salary hike for lecturers

Express News Service First Published : 10 Jul 2009

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government is considering to enhance the salary of the lecturers getting UGC payscales as per the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.

Higher Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra announced this in the Assembly today while replying to a question from Amar Prasad Satpathy (NCP).

The Minister said the Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry has accepted the proposal to hike the pay of the lecturers as per the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations in a letter in December, 2008. Though the State Government had constituted a fitment committee, it could not finalise its report because of the general elections, he said, adding that the committee has finalised its report now. Steps are being taken to get the approval of the cabinet for the committee report, he said. The Finance Department has already given its concurrence.

Replying to a question from Anant Das (BJD), the Minister said 922 posts of lecturers, 32 posts of principal and nine professor posts are vacant in colleges.

The State Government has requested the Orissa Public Service Commission (OPSC) for selection of candidates to fill up 328 junior lecturer posts, he further said. The OPSC has also been requested to select candidates to fill vacancies of reader and professor grade principal and professor posts

Friday, July 10, 2009

Teachers demand pay hike, to strike work

10 Jul 2009, 0317 hrs IST, Anahita Mukherji , TNN





MUMBAI: Doctors aren't the only ones going on strike this month. From July 14, an estimated 30,000 college and university teachers, under the banner
of the Maharashtra Federation of University and College Teachers' Organisations (MFUCTO), will go on an indefinite strike until their demands are met.

Teachers will be protesting the non-implementation of the sixth pay commission for college and university employees as well as the government's implementation of NET/SET qualifications.

"In January, the Maharashtra government announced that it would introduce the sixth pay commission for college and university teachers as well as government employees and school teachers. But while they have done so for government employees and school teachers, we are yet to receive the revised salaries,'' said CR Sadasivan, president of MFUCTO. Another demand includes the unfair treatment of teachers who have not passed the National Eligibility Test (NET) or the State Level Eligibility Test (SLET).

"In 1991, the University Grants Commission (UGC) first passed a notification asking all states to make the NET/SLET exams a necessary qualification for college and university teachers. UGC also asked universities to create the necessary statutes. But the Maharashtra government did not do so," said Sadasivan.

In 2000, UGC once again passed a notification making it compulsory from the year 2000, but not retrospectively. "So, teachers who had already been appointed between 1991 and 2000 were not required to do so. Those who have been appointed without NET/SLET in Maharashtra have not been given their promotions and are still on the original pay scales,'' said Sadasivan.

Teachers say they are also protesting the apathetic attitude of government authorities towards their demands. According to MFUCTO, despite repeated requests to hold a meeting with them, the government has failed to do so.

Incidentally, college and university teachers went on mass casual leave on Monday.