Bar on teacher8217;s recruitment hits academic units

KOLHAPUR, AUG 5: Teaching work in a majority of academic institutions has severely been hampered as recruitment process has came to a standstill. Mired in the mess created by the fluctuating reservation policies and confusing and contradictory government regulations, recruitment of teaching staff has suffered a major blow with the zero budget8217; government resolution GR dated June 2, 1998.

Anticipating the acceptance of the Fifth Pay Commission8217;s recommendations by the State Government the finance department has issued this GR which, among other austerity measures, has directed educational institutes not to recruit permanent or full-time lecturers, readers and professors. The teaching work should be carried on by engaging teachers on clock-hour basis, paying honorarium, it said. The directive has hit hard the institutions where a sizeable number of teaching posts are lying vacant for years.

The case in point is the Shivaji University, where some 54 posts in post-graduate departments 8212; 13 professors, 13readers and 23 lecturers 8212; are vacant for over five years. The posts were not filled between 1993 and 1996 as the problem of reservation for backward categories could not be settled. The posts were advertised on December 4, 1996. The process, however, was slowed down as the issue of women8217;s 30 per cent reservation as per the GR of June 22, 1994 was raised and consultation with the Government necessitated.