Varsity teachers bodies demands change in 7th pay revision

Two prominent university teachers' associations have decided to launch a movement against the Central government this month, expressing dissatisfaction with the latest revision in the salary of faculties under the seventh pay commission.

The All India Federation of University and College Teachers' Organisations (AIFUCTO) has given a call for holding a sit-in protest across the country on November 30, demanding for changes in the seventh pay revision scheme, notified recently.

The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) will observe November 15 as "black day" at all the colleges here and later take out a protest rally on November 21 to press for their demands.

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry notified the seventh pay revision scheme on November 2 following Union Cabinet's approval to the pay hike recommendations of an expert committee set up by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

"We note with utmost shock and dismay that this (pay revision scheme) has belied the hopes and aspirations of the lakhs of University and College teachers of the country, putting the sincerity and commitment of the central government to higher education into dock," the AIFUCTO said.

Citing various anomalies in the seventh pay revision scheme for university teachers, the AIFUCTO said it seeks to deny incentives for the MPhil and PhD both at the entry point and during service years.

"We strongly criticise it. This reflects the extreme insensitivity of the central government towards the hard work and challenges faced by researchers in the country in getting these degrees, thereby reducing the dignity and devaluing the significance of these prestigious degrees," the University teachers body added.

The DUTA termed the pay revision scheme as negative and retrograde, claiming that the stipulations made in it will have an adverse impact on the career advancement of every section of the teaching community in the universities.

"The most horrific recommendation on the pay revsiion of the teachers is the withdrwal of the PhD/Mphill increments. This is a retrogressive step as it amounts to discouraging research and taking away incentives for the same," DUTA president Rajib Ray told reporters at a press conference here on Monday.

He also claimed that the pay revision matrix, notified for Associate professors and above levels, would lead to stagnation in the career advancement of the teachers after a certain period of time.

Both the AIFUCTO and the DUTA also rejected the Government's decision to bear only 50% of the total expenditure to be incurred by the State Governments in implementation of the seventh pay scheme at State Universities and colleges.

"We demand allocation of 100% central assistance to the States," DUTA president said.