Non-adherence of MHRD guidelines
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Oct 6: As the Central University of Jammu (CUJ) is going to conduct interviews for several teaching positions from next week, procedural flaws and non-adherence of UGC/MHRD guidelines in filling up the vacant positions have come into light.
In major violation of the approved Roster for reservation, the CUJ has allegedly changed the status of reservation for Assistant and Associate Professors in a number of disciplines where posts were lying vacant.
The same positions were advertised sometimes as Un-Reserved and sometimes as any of the category positions like SC/ST/OBC thus manipulating the status of Roster and also causing a colossal damage to the interest of eligible category candidates against various positions.
Sources told the Excelsior that this change in the Roster does not have approval of competent bodies even as meeting of the University Executive had taken place in between and the item was kept in the agenda but the same was withdrawn and not discussed for the reasons best known to the CUJ authorities.
Pertinent to mention that once the Roster is approved by the University Council as per the procedure stipulated by the Government of India and advertisement is made accordingly, the status of the positions contrary to approved roster cannot be changed by the Vice-Chancellor on his own. It is an offence and criminal act of irregularity.
In compliance to Resolution number 10 of the 2nd meeting of the Executive Council, dated 14-01-2013, the Central University of Jammu had approved the Reservation Roster of 200 points. According, till 2014, the University advertised the posts of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor as per the approved Roster.
However, in the recently advertised posts for the vacant positions of Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors in various departments of the CUJ, the approved Roster was allegedly modified and manipulated to suit the interest of favourite candidates. The positions approved and the positions advertised are in contravention of the guidelines of the UGC and the Government of India.
For example, in the Department of Zoology, both the reserved posts of Associate Professor (one each for SC and ST) have been converted into Un-Reserved posts while in the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, one of the two Un-Reserved posts of Associate Professor, has been converted into reserved for ST.
Similarly, sources added, in the Department of Nano Science and Materials, Un-Reserved post of Associate Professor has been converted into reserved for ST while in the Department of Physics and Astronomical Sciences, the reserved post of Associate Professor for ST, has been converted into Un-Reserved. In the Department of Educational Studies, one Un-Reserved post of Assistant Professor has been converted into reserved one for the ST.
While interviews for these teaching posts in various departments, advertised under Rolling Advertisement, are commencing from October 10, 2019, sources disclosed that the Central University of Jammu has earlier also filled up three positions of Assistant Professors in violation of the actual roster. These positions were filled up in 2016 in the Department of Zoology, Department of Chemistry and the Department of Mathematics, sources informed.
When contacted, Registrar CUJ, Dr Ravi Kumar claimed that there was no swapping of Reserved and Un-Reserved posts of teaching positions in different departments. “Though some Un-Reserved posts have been reserved for Economically Weaker Sections, as per the Government directions, no reserved post for SC/ST/OBC has been Un-Reserved in violation of the approved Roster,” he added.
The Registrar refused to comment on the already filled up three positions of Assistant Professors in violation of actual roster and said that he was not aware about the things prior to his joining the CUJ in 2017.
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