Bhubaneswar: The teachers of Utkal University have been protesting the apathy of the varsity administration and the Higher Education department since July 10 as per a decision of the Utkal University Teachers’ Association (UUTA).
The demands are immediate implementation of career advancement scheme (CAS), immediate repair of residential quarters, confirmation of faculty members, advance increment for M.Phil/Ph.D holders, re-designation of Readers, recruitment of non-teaching staff, NPS arrears and insurance schemes.
The university administration is known for its casual approach towards issues for which rules have been framed long back by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and other regulatory bodies, said the agitating teachers. Hundreds of faculty members of the university are attending work sporting black badges from July 10 and their protest will continue till July 16.
Under the CAS, although there are clear provision for upgrading teachers, provided they fulfil certain norms and conditions, teachers had to wait decades to get promoted.
Although UGC regulations made it very clear that the university administration has to complete scrutiny and interview within six months of application, a teacher from the Department of Mathematics whose promotion was due in 2013, appeared for interview February 28, 2018, the day of her retirement, after lots of intervention by UUTA.
Around 100 faculty members are awaiting confirmation years after completing probation. Most of the administrative units of the university including critical sections connected with examinations are running with one or two non-teaching employees.
This hampers timely completion of work and the authorities allegedly depute faculty members for administrative work affecting teaching. On an average, faculty members spend around 50 hours a week for administrative work and only around eight-nine hours for academic work.
Although the UGC had abolished the post of Reader and have laid down clear-cut re-designation rules, the university keeps on lingering with re-designation. The Vice Chancellor (VC) had promised to look into the matter before the end of vacations, but there is no progress.
Teachers pay a substantial part of their income as house rent, but the residential quarters meant for them are in bad shape due to lack of maintenance.
Most of the quarters meant for teachers have become dangerous due to intrusion of snakes and walls getting electrical leaks during rains. Several lines are choked and colony roads are in a dire strait without streetlights.
The university pays a huge amount as water and electricity charges which are actually used by encroachers in and around its campus. Over the years, 11 slums have come up in and around the campus with the support of local politicians.
Residential areas, including the area in front of the VC’s residence, have become haunts for courting couples, and at night university roads, especially those in residential areas, are taken over by anti-social elements, it is alleged.
The UUTA submitted an ultimatum to the authorities and called for a protest against the administration June 3.
“Between July 17 and 22 faculty members will congregate peacefully in front of the administrative block for an hour every day. From August 23 teachers will go for relay sit-ins in front of the administrative block,” UUTA Secretary Kunja Behari Panda said.
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