Transparency regulations for recruitment of staff in varsities

In a move to ensure transparency in the university recruitment process, the State government has given varsities a fortnight’s time to put infrastructure in place in compliance with the government rules and the guidelines on recruitment issued by the University Grants Commission for both teaching and non-teaching staff.

These include camera arrangement for monitoring written examinations for recruitment, web applications and other technology to make the recruitment procedure transparent.

Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande recently held a meeting with vice chancellors to review the guidelines for recruitment. Universities have been urged to abide by the “UGC Regulations on Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education 2010.”

The regulations specify the minimum educational qualifications for appointment to various posts in each discipline, constitution of a selection committee for recruitment and other details of the appointment procedure.

With regard to recruitment of non-teaching staff, universities have been asked to conduct written examinations recorded on camera and not publish the marks secured by them immediately.

The interview marks should also comply with the Supreme Court judgement and should not be more than 12 per cent of the total marks for performance.

“The 2010 guidelines have not yet been implemented as we have not formed the statutes yet. It is currently before the government for approval,” said Bangalore University vice chancellor B Thimme Gowda. These statutes are university-specific.
Proposal submitted

Bangalore University has also submitted a proposal to the government outlining a few areas in which the Career Advancement Scheme for the teaching faculty (for promotions) can be implemented more efficiently.

The number of research papers published, patents secured, experience collaborating with other universities within the country and outside are some of the factors to be taken into account, as proposed by the university. These are likely to be implemented in other universities as well. “All these factors will add to the score in a quantitative manner and not just as a preference,” said Gowda.

Promotions and backlog recruitments are awaiting pending statutes and approvals from the government. Bangalore University currently has backlog appointments and many promotions pending.

The university is waiting for the approval of the statutes. More than 200 non-teaching posts and more than 100 teaching posts are to be filled.

This deadline given by the government is likely to boost the pace of recruitment and promotions in other universities in the State as well.

Karnataka State Women’s University VC Meena Rajeev Chandavarkar said it had 70 teaching positions vacant and would soon seek the government’s approval to fill them.

The varsity has 60 fulltime faculty as of now. The government is yet to approve the regularisation of about 200 non-teaching employees who are all working on temporary basis.