Dear Sir,
May I draw the attention of all concerned that in the 6th UGC pay commission’s revised pay scales very important points have not been taken in to consideration, there by giving rise to many discrepancies and in turn should attract much litigation? Under career advancement of UGC’s scheme 1996 (clause 7.0.0 read with clause 7.4.1 of UGC notification dated 24th dec.1998) a Lecturer completing 5 years of service in the senior scale with Ph.D. degree was eligible to be promoted as Reader /college Professor and the Lecturer with 5 years of service without Ph.D. degree or equivalent published work but fulfilling the other criteria for the post of Reader was to be placed in the selection grade, subject to the recommendation of the selection committee.
As a result, Lecturers holding Ph.D. degree and fulfilling other conditions of eligibility must have been promoted /designated as Readers/college professors through proper selection committee. What I mean to say is that there was a clear distinction between Lecturer selection grade and Reader/college professor.
In revised scheme 2006 there is no mention of the Readers/college professors promoted under career advancement scheme of 1996 as to which stage in the pay band of Rs.37400-67000 they are going to be fixed. In fact there must have been a clear provision or a separate pay band to fix such promoted persons.
Under clause 2(a) (ix) of HRD Ministry’s circular dated 31st Dec. 2008 regarding revision of scheme of pay of teachers in universities and colleges, incumbent Readers and Lectures selection grade who have completed 3 years of service as Reader/ Lecturer selection grade in the pay scale of Rs.12000-18300 on 01.01.2006, in the pre revised scheme are to be placed in the pay band of Rs.37400-67000 with academic grade pay of Rs 9000 and shall be re-designated as Associate Professor irrespective of their Ph.D. degree. As per clause 7(iv) of notification dated 31st Dec.2008 a Lecturer selection grade without Ph.D. who is fixed in the pay band of Rs.37400-67000 with academic grade pay of Rs.9000, if completes Ph.D. degree on or after 1st sept. 2008 will get three advance increments in lieu of his/her Ph.D. degree and will draw more pay than the persons who possess the same qualification and are otherwise senior or superior, which is against the basic fundamental rule of service that a person who is equally qualified and senior and was drawing more pay before revision of pay can not draw less pay than his junior after revision.
Also clause 2(a) (xiii) of circular dated 31st Dec.2008 says that an Associate professor after 3 years of service in AGP of Rs. 9000 and having Ph.D.degree shall be appointed and designated as Professor in the pay Band of Rs.37400-67000 with academic grade pay of Rs.10000. Clause 2(a) (xiv) says that directly recruited Professor shall be fixed at a stage not below Rs.43000 in the pay band of Rs. 37400-67000 with the applicable Academic grade pay of Rs.10000. Here again there will be a difference in pay of direct recruited Professor and a promoted Professor, which is not just. A directly recruited professor in a college will have his/her minimum total pay (Basic+AGP) Rs.53000. However a Principal of an under graduate college will get a minimum total pay (Basic +AGP+Special allowance) Rs.49400 as per clause 4(i) and a Principal of post graduate college will get a minimum total pay (Basic+AGP+Special allowance) Rs.50400 as per clause 4(ii).This means the Principals of undergraduate as well as postgraduate colleges will get less pay than their subordinate directly recruited professors.
I think both the Chaddha committee and the officials of UGC and HRD ministry could not keep these situations in mind while finalizing the pay scales for university and college Teachers.
In my opinion separate pay bands must be created for Readers/college Professors who got promoted under earlier career advancement scheme and for Principals of undergraduate and post graduate colleges, as in most of the states the promotions are made after the meeting of the selection committee/Departmental promotion committee but not from the due date of promotion .
If creation of separate pay bands is not feasible Readers/college professors promoted under earlier career advancement scheme, directly recruited Professors and the Principals of undergraduate and postgraduate colleges must be fixed at a stage not below Rs.43000 in the pay band of Rs.37400-67000 with the existing applicable AGP and Special Allowance to resolve the discrepancies. Also, Lectures selection grade who have Ph.D. degree and have completed 3 years of service as Lecturer selection grade in the pay scale of Rs.12000-18300 on 01.01.2006, in the pre- revised scheme should be given three advance increments at the time of fixation in the pay band of Rs.37400-67000.
Hope, necessary steps are taken at the level of UGC and HRD ministry in this regard.
Dr.M M Tiwari, Professor in Physics
e-mail: tiwaridrmm@gmail.com
