THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sparking a fresh controversy, Calicut University has decided to grant professorship with retrospective effect to retired teachers, including higher education minister R Bindu. The CPM-controlled university syndicate had decided on Dec 30, 2021 to grant professor status to retired teachers in contravention to the norms laid out by University Grants Commission (UGC).
On Wednesday Save University Campaign Committee sent letters to governor Arif Mohammed Khan and CM Pinarayi Vijayan, seeking immediate intervention to stop CU from conferring professor status to retired staff, including the minister.
UGC’s 2018 regulations had given permission to promote teachers in government and aided colleges as professors as part of career advancement promotion. The government had on 20/2/2021 passed orders adopting UGC regulations in this regard. As per Section 6.3(v) of the UGC regulation (2018), only those who are in regular service are eligible for this career advancement promotion.
It is also stipulated that a selection committee, set up as per UGC rules, should interview the candidate and recommend their promotion.
Higher education minister R Bindu had chosen voluntary retirement from service in March 2021. SUCC claimed that CU syndicate’s decision to grant professorship to retired staff was to help the minister get the professorship.
“No other university in state dared to bestow professorship to retired hands as a career advancement promotion cannot be given to persons whose service is no longer available to higher education institutions,” said SUCC chairman R S Sasikumar.
Bindu had courted severe criticism for claiming to be a professor while she had opted for voluntary retirement from Kerala Varma College as an associate professor. Though she had sworn in as professor R Bindu in Pinarayi’s cabinet, the government had issued a modified order describing her as Dr Bindu.
“Calicut University’s resolution of the Syndicate dated 30-12-2021 has resolved that retired and relieved teachers whose professor promotions due on or after 18.7.2018 may process the proposal for promotion from respective colleges. We urge you to call for papers and nullify the steps taken by the University of Calicut with intention to promote the minister of higher education as professor, post-retirement, against the law,” said SUCC in its petition.
On Wednesday Save University Campaign Committee sent letters to governor Arif Mohammed Khan and CM Pinarayi Vijayan, seeking immediate intervention to stop CU from conferring professor status to retired staff, including the minister.
UGC’s 2018 regulations had given permission to promote teachers in government and aided colleges as professors as part of career advancement promotion. The government had on 20/2/2021 passed orders adopting UGC regulations in this regard. As per Section 6.3(v) of the UGC regulation (2018), only those who are in regular service are eligible for this career advancement promotion.
It is also stipulated that a selection committee, set up as per UGC rules, should interview the candidate and recommend their promotion.
Higher education minister R Bindu had chosen voluntary retirement from service in March 2021. SUCC claimed that CU syndicate’s decision to grant professorship to retired staff was to help the minister get the professorship.
“No other university in state dared to bestow professorship to retired hands as a career advancement promotion cannot be given to persons whose service is no longer available to higher education institutions,” said SUCC chairman R S Sasikumar.
Bindu had courted severe criticism for claiming to be a professor while she had opted for voluntary retirement from Kerala Varma College as an associate professor. Though she had sworn in as professor R Bindu in Pinarayi’s cabinet, the government had issued a modified order describing her as Dr Bindu.
“Calicut University’s resolution of the Syndicate dated 30-12-2021 has resolved that retired and relieved teachers whose professor promotions due on or after 18.7.2018 may process the proposal for promotion from respective colleges. We urge you to call for papers and nullify the steps taken by the University of Calicut with intention to promote the minister of higher education as professor, post-retirement, against the law,” said SUCC in its petition.
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