Mumbai varsity teachers demand regularisation of services

Updated on: Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Mumbai: Nearly 35 teachers and someof the Senate of University of Mumbai today undertook a day-long hunger strike to protest non-implementation of regularisation of services of those who have acquired M Phil degree.

However, they called off the strike by evening after the university authorities assured them that the cases will be taken up on a priority basis. As per the University Grants Commission rule of 2006, teachers who have acquired M Phil are eligible for teaching undergraduates without clearing UGC National Eligibility Test (NET) or the Maharashtra State Eligibility Test (SET).

But the third amendment of UGC, issued in July 2009, had said NET or SET was essential even for those who have M Phil and only those who have PhD need not qualify these tests.

Acting Vice-Chancellor Chandra Krishnamurthy said I that 'there were some anomalies, especially in the case of those having M Phil, and we are looking on a case to case basis and will be able to solve the issue soon.'

'We had a meeting with the teachers in the evening and we have already drawn up priority plan on the issue.' The affected teachers and Senate members said the services of these teachers should be regularised as per the UGC rule.

Prof Madhu Paranjpe, a Senate member, said, advertisement was given by the university in May for the post of lecturers but the interviews were kept much later after the third amendment of UGC and 'we have asked the VC that such cases should be looked into'.

In fact, Bombay High Court has stayed the rule before it was lifted in December 2008. Paranjpe said, 'after the Bombay High court lifted the stay on the rule of 2006 in December 2008, except University of Mumbai, all the other universities across Maharashtra had regularised the services of lecturers who hold M Phil degree.'

The striking teachers, including even those holding Ph degree, were employed on hourly or contract basis due to bad management, she said.

The Acting VC has assured the teachers that the Ph Dcases will be sorted out on a priority basis and others will also be taken one by one as 22 out of the 33 teachers belonged to the reserved categories, Paranjpe added.

Mumbai varsity teachers demand regularisation of services

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