Pay more or no answer sheets, warn teachers

SURAT, May 13: After a long bout of pussy-footing, the South Gujarat University and College Teachers Association have asked its members not ...

SURAT, May 13: After a long bout of pussy-footing, the South Gujarat University and College Teachers Association have asked its members not to return answer sheets till their demand for more remuneration for assessment work is accepted by the university.

But if university sources are to be believed the association8217;s call is not backed by teachers and a majority of them are reluctant to take such an extreme step of cocking a snook at the university administration.

Only a handful of association members are reportedly interested in making an issue out of the assessment remuneration.

A source close to Vice-Chancellor Ashwin Kapadia alleged that the agitation was launched at the behest of association president Suryakant Shah, a known detractor of the Vice-Chancellor.

The extreme measure of keeping in their custody answer sheets 8212; an attempt to hold the university to ransom and jeopardise announcement of results of annual examination 8212; has been seen as another attempt to put Kapadia on the mat. The VC hasso far managed to survive a series of litigations and allegations involving his daughter8217;s dissertation and his own degrees.

Shah, an aspirant for the Vice-Chancellor8217;s position, has made a futile attempt to show that he is not part of the present agitation. In fact, the association press notes are not signed by Shah, who is president, but by treasurer K K Desai.

An association member confided to The Indian Express that the reason why the pressnotes were not being issued in Shah8217;s name was to lend some credence to the agitation. Shah8217;s mere name would have cast a shadow on the agitation and taken the sting out of it. It would have been seen as an attempt to blackmail Kapadia; the delayed announcement of results would have turned the students8217; community against him and subsequently the university.

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quot;They want to harass me by taking recourse to such an extreme step,quot; Kapadia told The Indian Express on Tuesday adding in the light of the threat by teachers, he would immediately convene ameeting. quot;If the university8217;s financial condition allows it to increase the teachers8217; remuneration it would do so. The university would explore all other options.quot;

He claimed that many teachers had confided in him that they were against any agitation over remuneration especially when the state government was in the process of accepting the Rastogi Commission8217;s report that has recommended hefty hikes in teachers8217; salaries.

Kapadia described the proposed agitation as a stunt to corner him. quot;If teachers really go ahead with the association8217;s mandate, the university will refer the matter to the state government and ensure that custody of answer papers is secured. The university has other priorities also, we are not supposed to behave according to the dictates of the teachers8217; association,quot; Kapadia fumed.