Govt, varsity teachers on collision course over promotions

HYDERABAD: The conflict between the government and the faculty of 13 universities in the state continues to brew as the ‘AP Universities Act-1991’ has failed to take cognizance of UGC guidelines.
Though the government had passed GO 208 in June 1999 on the lines of the UGC guidelines, the amendment of the Universities Act was not in consonance with their own GO, Osmania University Teachers’ Association (Outa) former vice-president Prof Devdas Manwal said.Such a step has forfeited the chances of promotions for the faculty under the career advancement scheme (CAS), he said.
The UGC, in a letter dated April 4, 2000, had directed the state universities and the managements of colleges to make necessary changes in their statutes or rules incorporating the UGC guidelines, stating it as mandatory. The GO 208 was passed accordingly by the state government, but even after a lapse of three years the universities continue to follow the outdated Universities Act which had been amended without incorporating the UGC rules.
The promotions of lecturers to readers and readers to professors were held under the CAS last year. Of about 300 academicians who had applied for promotions in Osmania University (OU), 150 were rejected and they had filed individual petitions in the court challenging the appointments as a violation of the UGC guidelines. “We strongly believe that the state failed to take cognizance of its own GO Ms No 208 while making amendments to the AP Universities Act 1991 with regard to the composition of selection committees for CAS under section 43-A,� OU philosophy professor Dr A Jagan said.
Meanwhile, the High Court passed an order on Aug. 7 declaring all selections under CAS as null and void, terming section 43 of the AP Universities Act 1991 as beyond the legislative competence of the state. Despite the High Court judgement, the university authorities callled for CAS 2002 applications for promotions.
The OUTA has called upon teachers to abstain from CAS interviews. Amendment to the Universities Act was not in consonance with the GO 150 applications for promotions were rejected for violating UGC guidelines.