College teachers protest delay in UGC pay review panel report

HYDERABAD: Members of the AP Federation of College Teachers’ Associations (FCTA) on Wednesday observed ‘protest day’ expressing resentment against ‘inordinate’ delay in submission of the Sixth UGC Pay Review Committee report to the Centre.

S. Laxminayarana, chairman, said in a statement that the day marked the beginning of the agitation by university/college teachers. He stated that members of the federation would be forced to resort to more drastic action, including a nation-wide strike, if the committee failed to submit its report before October 5. Members of the AP Affiliated College Teachers’ Association also observed protested day in response to a call by the All-India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations. G. Mallikarjun Rao, general secretary, said in a statement that 4,500 colleges across the State had protested.

University College Teachers to Protest Failure of UGC Pay Review Committee on Sep 24

Panaji, Sep 24: In response to the call given by All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organizations (AIFUCTO), the University College Teachers’ Association Goa (UCTAG) is going to observe Wednesday September 24 as ‘protest day’. This is to protest the failure of the sixth UGC Pay Review Committee (PRC) or Prof Chadda Committee, to submit its recommendations to the central government on time. AIFUCTO president Prof Thomas Joseph and general secretary Prof Ashok Barman, clarified that the Chadda Committee was required to submit its report by September 6. The leadership of AIFUCTO has repeatedly voiced the sentiments of teachers that the PRC should submit its report within the prescribed time limit. The failure of the committee to submit its report even after implementation of the sixth Pay Review Committee recommendations for central government employees is a matter that deserves serious national concern. The XIth Plan perspective clearly states that inclusive development in a knowledge society is premised on making provisions for quality education for all. The project of quality education for all is closely linked up with the project of attracting and retaining talented teachers in public-funded higher education institutions. AIFUCTO leaders warned that Wednesday would only mark the beginning of their protest. They said that the teaching community will be forced to resort to more drastic actions including going on nationwide strike if the committee fails to submit its report before October 5, one month after the original due date for the submission of the report. As per the decision taken in the executive council meeting of the UCTAG held on Monday September 22, Gurunath Prabhu Khanolker, president, UCTAG, has appealed to all the teachers in colleges across the state to hold demonstrations in their respective institutions and attend classes wearing protest badges.

UGC Committee to recommend very decent pay scale for teachers

The University Grants Commission constituted Committee to review the pay scales and other issues of service and working conditions of university and college teachers in the country has assured to provide the teachers a very decent deal. Prof G K Chadha, Chairman UGC Pay Review Committee said that it was deliberating on issues connected with higher education in a socio-economic and cultural milieu qualitatively so much different from what it was a decade ago, particularly in view of the demands of new global challenges in the higher education sector especially at the level of college education. He asserted that the committee would provide the best for the teaching profession vis--vis corporate sector and civil services.
He assured that the committee would provide recommendation which would encourage the best talent to join teaching profession, provide them incentives and pay scales parity with civil services and also remove anamolies of the last pay commission.
The committee is fully conscious of the criticality of time for the report to reach its final destination so that teachers should get pay scales and improved working conditions soon. The Committee was appointed by UGC in the larger context of the VI Central Pay Commission appointed by the Government for recommending the revised scales of pay for central government employees.

Big raise on cards for university teachers

A University Grants Commission pay panel has promised that the average raise for university teachers will be higher than what corresponding government officials are to receive under the Sixth Pay Commission.
The committee, headed by former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) vice-chancellor G.K. Chadha, is also set to recommend a uniform retirement age. The age is 65 in central universities but, as Chadha pointed out, it varies from 55 to 70 in educational institutions under states.
“We will ask all states to invoke a uniform policy on the age of retirement and re-employment of teachers. The uniformity is essential to rid India’s higher education sector of inter-regional disparities,” Chadha said today.
The committee has been criticised by teachers’ bodies for failing to submit its report by the September 6 deadline.
The panel was set up along with the Sixth Pay Commission and both reports were to be implemented together. The Centre finalised the findings of the pay commission and notified the recommendations last month. Government staff were granted hikes ranging from 12 to 21 per cent a year.
The Chadha panel asked for more time and was granted a month’s extension. The committee, Chadha said, had arrived at a consensus on “most issues” and would start writing the report next week.
If the government accepts the hike suggested by the UGC committee, it will be effective from January 1, 2006, the date from which the central officials’ pay has been revised.
Chadha said the committee had outlined several proposals to help retain top-quality teachers in academics. “We will focus at the entry level, on those just completing their academics and contemplating a life of teaching. We want to lure them into the profession.”
“We cannot offer the red-carpet treatment that the corporate sector can, but we plan to offer them better research facilities to keep them (faculty) in our universities.”
The Chadha committee also suggested an annual appraisal of teachers and more flexible growth opportunities.
Higher education faces a massive teacher crunch, with dozens of vacancies to be filled, many of them at premier institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).
The UGC panel is also set to recommend a “carrot-and-stick” policy for states. The Centre contributes 80 per cent of the money for paying university teachers and its share is independent of the extent to which states have implemented the recommendations of the previous pay panel.
“The central assistance should continue, but only for those states willing to adopt all recommendations accepted by the Centre,” Chadha said.

Opening Remarks of Prof. G.K Chadha, Chairman UGC Pay Review Committee in the Press interaction on Status of the work of Pay Review Committee

Let me welcome you all this afternoon to this press conference on behalf of the Pay Review Committee that, as you are well aware, has been constituted by the University Grants Commission to review the pay scales and other issues of service and working conditions of university and college teachers in the country.
I wish to share with you and through you with my lakhs of university and college teacher colleagues spread in various parts of the country—some really remote and far flung— the progress of the functioning of the Pay Review Committee, particularly the range of issues on which the Committee has been dilating with a view to giving the teachers a very ‘decent deal’.
As you are aware, the Pay Review Committee was appointed in the larger context of the VI Central Pay Commission appointed by the Government of India for recommending the revised scales of pay for central government employees.
Now that the recommendations of the VI Central Pay Commission have finally been accepted and notified by the Government of India, the concern of the university and college teachers about the recommendation of our Pay Review Committee and their implementation is quite understandable and the Pay Review Committee is quite conscious of this concern.
The Pay Review Committee, however, also knows that it is only on August 29th and 30th, 2008 that is only about two weeks ago that the final recommendations of the VI Central Pay Commission as accepted by the Government of India became available. A large number of recommendations of Pay Review Committee, particularly those in relation to the revision of scales of pay and pension and other terminal benefits being dependent on those recommendations could not have been discussed and firmed up meaningfully before this.
The terms of Reference of our Pay Review Committee, thanks to the farsight of the University Grants Commission, for which the entire Pay Review Committee compliments the UGC, cover practically every single aspect of teachers service and working conditions ranging from pay and allowances to recruitment policy, opportunities for career advancement, availability of infrastructure and related facilities for teaching and research in university and colleges, special needs of women teachers and there work in rural and remote areas. Various kinds of leave facilities admissible to teachers, their academic accountability and the age of retirement and terminal benefits like pension, provident fund and gratuity.
In addition, the Pay Review Committee has also been asked to, look into the anomalies arising out of the implementation of the last Pay Review Committee and suggest redressal for these.
To identify these issues which related to over 200 universities and over 6000 colleges affiliated to the University Grants Commission was in itself a gigantic task and for this, the Pay Review Committee decided to use a multi pronged methodology that involved interacting with various stakeholders like the Professors, Readers, lecturers—particularly those who have been appointed recently—in both universities and colleges, the Directors of Physical Education, Librarians, Vice Chancellors and various teachers’ Associations and Federations. Also consulted were Eminent Educationists, Public Persons, Ministers of Education in various states and Educations Secretaries and Directors of Public Instruction.
Also, special questionnaires were devised—one for universities and another for colleges—which were sent to over 200 universities and 6000 colleges for eliciting information regarding diverse issues and the those general conditions relating to higher education that has a direct bearing on teachers’ service and working conditions.
The Pay Review Committee has also received nearly five hundred representations and memoranda from individuals, institutions and teachers’ associations and federations which too have been scrutinized carefully to know about the concerns and aspirations of the teaching community in universities and colleges.
Having done this—which as you can appreciate was a formidable task in itself—the Pay Review Committee has held a series of meetings—some lasting over several days-to discuss and arrive at a consensus about various issues. In fact, we have just finished one such significant meeting that started yesterday morning and I am glad to share with you the fact that the members of the Pay Review Committee present here with me this afternoon have arrived at significant decision about these issues that can be divided into the following broad categories:
Revised structure of Pay and allowances for various categories of teachers, D.P.Es and Librarians
 Pension and other related benefits for social security of teachers, including the age of retirement and reemployment of teachers.
The quantum of Central government financial assistance to states for implementing these recommendations of the Pay Review Committee
A uniform date and manner Recruitmentof implementation of the recommendations throughout the country policy and eligibility conditions for various categories of teachers and Principals of colleges.
Opportunities for promotion under Career Advancement Scheme of both university and college teachers.
 Infrastructure and other support facilities for improving the quality of teaching and research.
Teaching work load and academic accountability of teachers.
Residual anomalies from the last Pay Review Committee and their redressal.
Each of these broad categories and many more issues were further subdivided into more focussed issues, including some of which are entirely new and innovative and are being considered for the first time to attract and retain talent in the field of higher education. Again these range from a better financial package to providing better academic environment for teaching and research.
1. Pay and Allowances
These include, among others--
(a) The possibilities of granting some additional incentives at the entry level, some kind of academic allowance or allowance for working in remote and inaccessible areas, etc.
(b) Questions relating to pay fixation and stagnation
2. Pension and other related benefits…
These include, among others—
(a) the question of invoking a uniform policy about the age of retirement and reemployment of teachers, to rid India’s higher education sector of the existing unhealthy inter regional disparities in this regard.
(b) Exploring the possibility of extending benefits like medical and general group insurance to all university and college teachers.
3. The Quantum of financial assistance…
These include the most crucial questions, among others—
a. How much assistance should the central government extend to states for a smooth implementation of the recommendations of the Pay Review Committee.
b. The period for which such assistance needs to be extended to the states.
c. Incentives that could be given to states for successful implementation of the entire package of recommendations of the Pay Review Committee.
4. The Date and manner of implementation…
The issues under this broad category include, among others---
(a) 01-01-2006 to be the date from which the recommendations of the Pay Review Committee should be implemented throughout the country.
(b) The manner in which it should be implemented so that benefits can be derived uniformally by all teachers without inter regional or inter- institutional deviations.
5. Recruitment policy…
The issues include, among others,
a) How to extend better financial and otherincentives to attract and retain better talent in the field of teaching in higher education, particularly at the entry level.
b) How new categories of teaching position need to be created to make the profession of teaching more attractive.
c) How and means can be devised to give a better financial deal to those who are working as contract teachers and guest faculty.
6. Opportunities for Career Advancement of teachers in both universities and colleges…
This is one of the most crucial issues before the Pay Review Committee. It includes, among others,
a) The manner in which the CAS can be made more teacher friendly especially in terms of creating more opportunities. The need for a third promotion for college teachers is engaging our attention in particular.
b) To look into the present conditions of eligibility and selection processes and suggest ways and means of making it more expeditions.
7. Infrastructure and other facilities…
This category of issues includes, among others,
a) examining the existing infrastructure and support facilities for teaching and research, particularly in colleges and recommendations for their upgradation.
b) To explore ways and means for providing some seed money to teachers both in universities and colleges for promoting research.
8. Teaching workload...
a) The issue of workload and academic accountability of teachers includes whether the classroom teaching load of teachers needs to be revisited
b) What kind of criteria need to be evolved for effective, transparent assessment of teachers’ work.
9. Anomalies from the previous…
One of the most challenging tasks before the Pay Review Committee has been to look at the anomalies of the previous Pay Review Committee and suggest redressal for some of most glaring ones. The total number of issues –some of them most crucial for the future of higher education and economic development of India –runs into no fewer than 100 odd issues. I am glad to say that a consensus on all issues has been reached in a series of meetings, including those held yesterday and today.
I can only say with utmost sincerity that the recommendations would give my fellow teachers more than what any rational thinker would call ‘a very decent’ deal.
This committee has deliberated on issues connected with higher education in a socio-economic and cultural milieu qualitatively so much different from what it was a decade ago, particularly in view of the demands of new global challenges in the higher education sector especially at the level of college education. It needs to be asserted that at the present juncture we have to think the best for the teaching profession vis-à-vis corporate sector and civil services. The committee is fully conscious of the criticality of time for the report to reach its final destination. That is why we have been working very hard to ensure that what is due to the teaching committee as a result of pay scales and improved working conditions should not come to them even a day later.

6th Pay Commission: When university teachers will get pay hike

New Delhi, Sept. 7, 2008: To most of the university teachers the question haunting them is that when they will get pay hike on the lines of 6th Pay Commission recommendations. Though central government employees are set to get their hiked salary from this month the university teachers may well have to wait a bit longer.
University teachers were hoping that they too would get similar hikes as recommended by the sixth pay commission. Around 5.5 million central government employees have got around 25 percent pay hikes besides hefty increment in allowance and other facilities.Several state governments including Uttar Hradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Uttrakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh have announced to form committees to implement the sixth commission recommendations in their respective state.The UGC Pay panel review committee headed by GK Chadha has said that the committee has not completed its study. The message was recently conveyed to the HRD minister Arjun Singh who grudgingly approved an extension in the committee’s tenure.The committee has been asked toreview implementation of the previous decision of the government/UGC under scheme of revision of pay scales approved for university and college teachers, librarians, physical education personnel and other academic staff.To evaluate extent to which earlier recommendations in relation to qualifications, service conditions and pay-scales have been implemented.Toexamine the present structure of emoluments and conditions of service... and suggest revision in the structure, taking into account the minimum qualifications, career advancement opportunities and total packet of benefits available to them (such as superannuation benefits, medical, housing facilities, etc)

Early tabling of UGC pay panel report sought

NEW DELHI: In the light of the announcement of revised pay scales for Central Government employees, the Federation of Central Universities’ Teachers’ Associations has demanded that the University Grants Commission’s Pay Review Committee submit its report at the earliest.

“When UGC Chairman S.K. Thorat met us recently, he assured us that the committee would submit its report within 15 days of the decision on the Central Pay Commission report. We are concerned over certain reports that the committee may take another three to six months to submit its report,” said Federation president Aditya Narayan Misra on Wednesday.

The teachers federation has threatened that if the report is not submitted immediately it will observe a dharna and hunger strike outside the University Grants Commission office on Friday.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/28/stories/2008082854400400.htm

Central varsities teachers call off strike on Teachers Day

New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS) Teachers from 18 central universities have called off their strike Sep 5, keeping in mind that a number of teachers would be involved in the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) polls Friday, official sources said. The Federation of Central Universities Teachers’ Association (FEDCUTA), which has long been protesting the University Grants Commission (UGC) pay review committee’s demand for more time to submit its report, had planned to go on strike Sep 5.
“However, as we realized that many teachers of Delhi University (DU) who are a part of FEDCUTA will be busy on Friday with the DUSU polls, we decided to call off the strike,” Kamal Mitra Chenoy, professor in Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) School of International Studies, told IANS.
The association is now planning to organise a mass protest rally Sep 17.
The pay review committee was set up Sep 7 last year, with G.K. Chadha, former vice-chancellor of JNU, as its head. It was to submit its report Sep 6 this year. The pay review committee, however, demanded three more months to submit its report.
“However, I met Chadha and he assured me that it is just a matter of a few more days for the report submission. While we respect him and believe his words, that doesn’t mean that we will stop our agitation. That will continue until the report is actually submitted,” Chenoy said.
A total of 18 universities, which includes Jawaharlal University, Delhi University, Jamia Milia Islamia, Jamia Hamdard, Aligarh University and Assam university, are part of the FEDCUTA.