Staff promotion: Activist alleges neglect, lethargy by University of Mysore in implementing its own order

The UoM has not taken adequate steps since 2018 to vacate a stay order by the high court brought by one of its staff members even as the varsity gave her promotion as Senior Assistant on March 1, 2024.

Mysuru: Social activist R N Sathyanarayana has alleged neglect and lethargy by the University of Mysore (UoM) in implementing its own order for the past seven years. According to him, the UoM has not taken adequate steps since 2018 to vacate a stay order by the high court brought by one of its staff members N Nirmala even as the varsity gave her promotion as senior assistant on March 1, 2024.

The stay order was brought by N Nirmala on April 27, 2018 against an order of the UoM issued on January 17, 2018, which changed the date of her promotion as Stenographer from August 1, 2008 to October 15, 2014. It had also ordered to recover the financial benefits from January 27, 2017, from her salary, while it fixed her pay from August 1, 2006 by reducing her basic pay. Nirmala will retire from the service in April 2027.

R N Sathyanarayana said, for some unknown reason, the UoM authorities are hesitating to implement their own orders to withdraw the promotion and recover the damages. On the contrary, they have given the person in question a promotion in 2024, he pointed out.

Registrar of UoM M K Savitha said, the file is before the Vice-Chancellor and legal opinion is sought regarding the issue. “Action will be taken by next week,” she added.

Following repeated petitions of social activist R N Sathyanarayana, the UoM Registrar had given a clarification on June 2, 2023 that several rounds of talks were held with the advocate, appointed to represent the UoM before the court, to get the stay order vacated, and also to take further action to solve the issue of violation of rules in the promotion of Nirmala as per the decision of the UoM Syndicate on January 15, 2017.

Nirmala was appointed as Typist-cum-Clerk (TCC) by the UoM on August 1, 2006. As she was found to be eligible for the post of stenographer, she was promoted by the UoM two years later on August 1, 2008. This irked some senior staffers in the UoM, who approached social activist Sathyanarayana.

Sathyanarayana collected information on the appointment and promotion of Nirmala from the UoM, using the Right to Information Act. He complained to the authorities concerned about the violation of rules in the process. He pursued the issue for a few years till it came up for a discussion in the meeting of the UoM Syndicate.