Panaji: University College Teachers Protest: Failure of UGC Pay Review Committee

News From Rubiya Shaikh For Daijiworld Media Network—Panaji (CN) Panaji, Sep 24: In response to the call given by All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organizations (AIFUCTO), the University College Teachers’ Association Goa (UCTAG) is going to observe Wednesday September 24 as ‘protest day’. This is to protest the failure of the sixth UGC Pay Review Committee (PRC) or Prof Chadda Committee, to submit its recommendations to the central government on time. AIFUCTO president Prof Thomas Joseph and general secretary Prof Ashok Barman, clarified that the Chadda Committee was required to submit its report by September 6. The leadership of AIFUCTO has repeatedly voiced the sentiments of teachers that the PRC should submit its report within the prescribed time limit. The failure of the committee to submit its report even after implementation of the sixth Pay Review Committee recommendations for central government employees is a matter that deserves serious national concern. The XIth Plan perspective clearly states that inclusive development in a knowledge society is premised on making provisions for quality education for all. The project of quality education for all is closely linked up with the project of attracting and retaining talented teachers in public-funded higher education institutions. AIFUCTO leaders warned that Wednesday would only mark the beginning of their protest. They said that the teaching community will be forced to resort to more drastic actions including going on nationwide strike if the committee fails to submit its report before October 5, one month after the original due date for the submission of the report. As per the decision taken in the executive council meeting of the UCTAG held on Monday September 22, Gurunath Prabhu Khanolker, president, UCTAG, has appealed to all the teachers in colleges across the state to hold demonstrations in their respective institutions and attend classes wearing protest badges.

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Professor A. Vaishampayan, UGC Career Awardee, BHU, Varanasi
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Panaji: University College Teachers to Protest Failure of UGC Pay Review Committee on Sep 24

I do agree with the extremely genuine demand from the DUTA and FEDCUTA to first redress the sharp anomaly of the arbitrary UGC orders under the 5th Pay Commission to allow promotion to Central University Teachers from an unreasoned date of 27.07.1998, despite the implementation of the whole 5th pay package from 01.01.1996. This order spoiled the professional career of all those university teachers who were already eligible for promotion on or before 01.01.1996, as per UGC criteria, and faced tough screening and ion process but still got the promotion with effect from not earlier than 27.07.1998 without any rhyme and reason.
This way the highest qualified community was befooled by the highest education grants commission of India under flimsy bureaucratic orders. After the due justice to the sufferers, as above, their redressed salary arriving at on 01.01.2006 may please be considered for fixation under the new UGC pay scale to be announced under the Sixth Pay guidelines and recommendations from the Hon’ble Professor Chaddha Commission. It is important to tender the request that the Teachers who served as a Professor for at least five years or above, may please be given at least three extra increments over and above the one recommended to be fixed as per Central Govt. Gazette Notification on Pay Fixation Formula, dated 30.08.2008 under the 6th Pay Commission within the frame work (pay scale) of a Professor awaited from the UGC coupled with allowing a Selection/Super Selection Grade to the Professors with 10 years of continuous service in a Central University.
This will be the minimum courtesy from the MHRD to honour this highest literate position under the Govt. of India who builds up and shapes the able human resources through this noble profession to carefully and graciously command different spheres of the whole nation. Further, I do agree with Professor Chaddha that teachers’ periodical appraisal and emphasis on the maintenance of discipline, morality and sense of integrity should be the part and parcel of the new pay package.