Recruitment rules for asst profs lack transparency: Lecturers

A recent notification by the Department of Collegiate Education on the recruitment rules for Assistant Professors has drawn flak from lecturers.

They contest that the freshly-issued rules were neither in spirit with the UGC guidelines (2018) that prescribe weightage to research publications and awards, nor had the government been transparent about the process.

While in February, the government had called for objections to the draft rules, the final notification has been put out without any information on the number of objections received or why they were not considered, lecturers charged.

Recently, the government notified Education Department Services (Collegiate Education Department) (Recruitment of Assistant Professor) (Special) Rules, 2020, which calls for an entrance test based on general knowledge and optional subject papers. Several criticized this saying it did not take into account years of research and teaching experience, doing injustice to currently employed lecturers.

Many objections were sent in this regard to the government in February this year. However, neither has the government taken this into account, nor has it given any reason for rejecting this suggestion, lecturers said.

Guest lecturers who spoke to DH on the condition of anonymity said as per their knowledge, at least 500 objections were filed, including requests for age relaxation, job security for guest faculty and to accord marks for teaching and research experience. The government must publish the list of objections and the reason for not considering them, they said. One guest lecturer from Mangalore University said the new rules sought to negate years of work experience some of them had.

Another lecturer from Tumkur University who has worked as a guest lecturer for more than 15 years, added that they had also requested the government to reserve a certain percentage of posts to those with experience. “Let the government at least tell us why these objections were not considered,” the lecturer added.

The government has to fill 1,240 assistant professor posts in various colleges under the Department of Collegiate Education. Commissioner of Collegiate Education Pradeep P, said the department was open to sharing the details with any individual that approached them with the request. As for the recruitment process, considering that the state government has stalled all recruitment for the current year, the department would await further guidelines from the government,
he stated.