Staff Reporter
RONO HILLS, 2 Sep: The Rajiv Gandhi University Teachers’ Association (RGUTA) on Friday protested against the university authorities for not addressing the association’s longstanding demands.
A representative of the RGUTA informed that, “despite several written submissions to the RGU authorities, our demands have not been fulfilled.” The representative added, however, that they were given verbal assurance.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, informed that the faculty members wore black badges to show their resentment over the “authorities’ attitude.”
The RGUTA said that it has served a memorandum to RGU Vice Chancellor Prof Saket Kushwaha, stating that it will launch a protest in front of the university’s administrative block on Teachers’ Day on Monday.
The memorandum stated that the RGU teaching community would launch a democratic movement if its demands are not met.
It is learnt that a circular had been issued to all the faculty members to apply for leave of absence during the lockdown period for three months. The association is demanding that the time period “should be considered a working period,” stating that “all the works were done through online mode.”
The association is also demanding the release of the withheld increment.
A faculty member informed this reporter that, “other than the paid leave, there are no other leaves, and one can take only 12 days’ leave in a year.” The faculty member further said that “this will affect when we retire, as the numbers of leaves taken will be deducted.”
Citing the 2018 regulations, the RGUTA said that “it was clearly mentioned that papers published in peer reviewed journals would be considered,” and added that it is opposing the public notice issued by the University Grants Commission on 16 September, 2019, stating that only UGC-CARE list journals will be taken into account.
When contacted, the VC said that the protest organised by the association “is unethical, immature and trying to run a parallel administration.”
Prof Kushwaha also warned that he would “ban the democratic movement carried forward by the association” through his power, if needed.
A notification issued by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council on 27 May this year stated that “the information to higher education institutions for publications should be considered by the NAAC for data verification and validation process.”
