Parl panel blames govt's 'retreat' from public education for surge in 'temporary' university teacher appointments

New Delhi: A Parliamentary panel has blamed the government's "retreat" from public education and the “increasing influence” of neo-liberal policies for the rise in appointing “temporary” teachers in universities across the country and said such contractual jobs have become “highly sought” after due to “scarcity of permanent jobs”.

It also found fault with the draft  Higher Education Commission of India Bill, saying it “indirectly fuels” privatisation of education in rural India. The multi-party committee also recommended skill development projects for humanities students and cited the example of inviting writers and storytellers for propagating writing skills as a potential career option.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports headed by senior Congress MP Digvijaya Singh said that most universities, especially under the union government, have a higher amount of contractual workforce. As many as 4,000 teachers are employed in Central Universities in temporary posts, it said.

In its report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, it said this “shift away from permanent, secure government jobs towards casual, short-term contracts” has been driven by the “government's retreat from public education and the increasing influence of neo-liberal policies”.

Responding to the actions taken by the Department of Higher Education,  the report reminded that contractual positions offer no job security, no salary increments, and lack of social security benefits like promotions, pensions, or paid leave. 

“Despite these disadvantages, such jobs have become highly sought after due to the scarcity of permanent jobs, particularly in fields like social sciences and humanities,” the panel said on the report on the action taken on the ‘Review of Education Standards, Accreditation Process, Research, Examination Reforms and Academic Environment in Deemed, Private Universities and Other Higher Education Institutions’

It also highlighted the “institutional hurdles” faced by contractual faculties when attempting to conduct research, including lack of access to research grants and insufficient institutional recognition. 

“The Committee, therefore, strongly recommends that the Department should work on regularisation of jobs to provide job security and ensure fair working conditions as well to enhance capacity building which will motivate them to put effort for improving research and pedagogy,” it said.

The panel also found fault with the focus only on a “certain fraction of students who have commerce or science or technical background” in initiatives aimed at skilling by involving industry and institutions, summits and leadership workshops and entrepreneurship centres at business schools.

“It ignores students with humanity related subjects,” it said, recommending more emphasis on students from non-technical, humanities and related backgrounds. 

“There should be opportunities in institutes to bring in expertise of established persons of a field. For instance, established writers, storytellers propagating writing skills as a potential career option. Similarly, there should be increased field visits for students enrolled in archaeology, geology, etc,” the report said. 

On the draft HECI Bill, which seeks to replace UGC as a single regulator, the panel said it maintains a central government-heavy composition and insufficient state representation.

The draft Bill will hold significant power, including the ability to grant degree-awarding authority and close institutions failing to meet standards. 

“This removes State control and could lead to the closure of institutions in rural areas that suffer from infrastructure or faculty shortages” and “indirectly fuel” privatisation especially in rural areas, it said. The committee recommended a simplified hierarchy of regulatory bodies.