Can’t allow ineligible college lecturers to continue: Punjab and Haryana high court
“Teaching in colleges is a responsible job. If persons do not possess the minimum qualifications laid down by the UGC i.e. NET/PhD, one can only imagine the plight of the students who are being taught by such unqualified persons,” observed Punjab and Haryana high court.
The Punjab and Haryana high court said those extension lecturers who do not possess the minimum qualifications fixed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for appointment as a faculty member in colleges of Haryana should not be allowed to be continued till the regular selections are made.
“Teaching in colleges is a responsible job. If persons do not possess the minimum qualifications laid down by the UGC i.e. NET/PhD, one can only imagine the plight of the students who are being taught by such unqualified persons. Those candidates who have been appointed under the earlier policies by the various colleges and have not even acquired the minimum qualifications up till now, cannot be allowed to be continued,” the bench of justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and justice Sudeepti Sharma observed adding that the court would not sympathize on this aspect.
The court, however, said those who have acquired the qualifications, need to be protected till regular selections are made.
The pleas were from those working as extension lecturers in Haryana colleges and had challenged various conditions concerning their employment. One such demand was that even those who do not possess PhD/NET qualifications have been working for the years together. More than 2,300 posts are still lying vacant in colleges. Hence, those who are experienced but do not have qualification of NET/PhD, ought to be allowed to continue till the regular selections are made.
The court, however, did not agree and directed the state government to take steps to relieve such persons and further asked to take steps for advertising regular posts within six months. All candidates, who are working and eligible, would be free to apply, it said, adding that the benefit of age relaxation be given to such persons.
As per a report in high court submitted in 2023, as many as 250 odd teachers were such who, when appointed, did not possess the minimum qualifications for these posts. The appointments have been done over 10-15 years and around 2,000 extension lecturers are working against regular posts in the state.
The government had told the court that it was in the process of making regular selections.
The court pointed out that even as per the 2010 guidelines of UGC, the minimum qualifications for appointing such faculty were in place but the state government had its own issued advertisements and appointed persons who did not possess the minimum qualifications. “The advertisements issued by the respective colleges have resulted in such a situation and regular selections are not conducted,” it remarked, adding that even 2020 policy of the state on these posts came into being four years back, no regular selections have been made, which has resulted in posts being filled with the unqualified persons.
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