College teachers demand enhancement in retirement age
Srinagar: The college teachers association on Monday accused the state government of partial implementation of the UGC guidelines issued for the enhancement of retirement age of professors working in the government degree colleges of the state.
Addressing a press conference, president J&K college teachers association (CTA) Prof. Tariq Ashai said the government was deliberately delaying the enhancement in age of superannuation for college teachers.
“A certain group of people with malafide interest have started a campaign against our legitimate and justified demand of removing disparity with respect to the age of superannuation between University and College teachers,” Prof Ashai said.
He said the University and College teachers are part of same department governed by same set of rules and guidelines issued by University Grants Commission (UGC) from time to time.
“There is no difference in terms of qualification, eligibility for post, service conditions, career advancement or any other scheme in pay and grade. But the government has created a difference in age of superannuation which is unjustified,” Ashai said.
He said the retirement age of University professors is 62 years while as in case of College teachers it is only 60 years.
“There is a standing guideline from UGC that superannuation should be 65 for both College and University teachers. Different states have implemented the guidelines but not J&K state,” he said.
The president of J&K CTA justified the enhancement of retirement age citing that there was acute shortage of teachers in colleges. “40 percent teaching staff is working on contract basis as more than 800 posts are vacant,” Ashai said.
He said new 1000 posts are likely to be created in near future for establishment of newly announced 42 degree colleges.
“Government will need more new 1500 human resource but it won’t be good to handover colleges to only junior staff but each department should have a senior faculty member as well.”
Prof. Ashai further said the college teachers make their entry in the department at the age of 28 years to 30 as their life gets consumed in qualifying NET and completion of Ph.D degrees.
“While as in other departments, a gazetted officer or KAS officer makes entry in the department at the age of 22 to 25 years,” he said. He further said there was no financial implication for the department in enhancing the retirement age for the college professors.
KV Correspondent
