The Union Ministry of Human Resources and Development has assured a delegation of Maharashtra Federation of University and College Teachers Organisations (MFUCTO) that those teachers confirmed in the service before June 2009 would be exempted from clearing the national or state eligibility test (NET/SET) for teachers. The exemption to 1,269 college teachers of the University of Pune (UoP) from these eligibility tests will now be reinstated. Around 3,000 college teachers from the state,under the aegis of the federation,had staged demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on August 2,demanding exemption for those confirmed in service before December 1999. The Ministry officials had invited a delegation of the federation for discussions; we got an assurance that the demands will be met, said executive member Shyam Lavande who was part of the delegation. The University Grants Commission had,in February this year,exempted 1,269 teachers of UoP who were confirmed in service before December 1999 from the NET However,the order was reverted after the ministry sent a letter to the UGC,citing no college teacher shall be exempted from these tests as per the norms set in June 2009. The federation protested against the decision claiming that many teachers,including those confirmed in 2006,were exempted from the tests before the June 2009 guidelines. It said if teachers confirmed in 2006 are exempted from the tests,those confirmed way back in 1999 or even before that should also be given exemption. Lavande said the teachers delegation had put forth these arguments before the Ministry officials. The officials said the new norms to make NET/SET mandatory for college teachers were set in June 2009. And hence,those confirmed in service before June 2009 will be exempted from the eligibility tests. The delegation also met UGC chairman Sukhdeo Thorat. The chairman said he had no issues if the Ministry approves the exemptions. He also assured us that he would issue a notification in this regard once he receives an official communication, Lavande said.
