Dear Editor,
Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to draw the attention of Minister for Higher Education, J and K towards recently advertised notice regarding the Recognition of Teaching Faculty for Various Schools of the Cluster Universities of Jammu and Kashmir. Even a cursory glance at the advertisement notice reveals that the eligibility criterion for the posts of anything but reasonable. Firstly, the UGC parameters are uniform throughout India but in the advertisement under consideration, we find that the two universities, viz Cluster University, Jammu and Cluster University, Kashmir have adopted different standards in that whereas the letter has provided for points to NET-JRF/SET qualified candidates, the former has not found it reasonable towards points for candidates with these qualifications. As to how the criteria can be different when both the Custer Universities are formed under Rashtriya Uchhtar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) is something not quite fathomable. Secondly, the Cluster University Jammu has notified in the advertisement that only those candidates who are posted at Degree Colleges of jammu province can apply for the posts; as to why those candidates of Jammu who are posted in Kashmir province are denied the opportunity to apply is also incomprehensible. Even more ambiguous is the fact that neither the number of vacancies available under various subjects/disciplines have been advertised nor have the posts been bifurcated on the basis of rank/designation i.e. No of vacancies of Professors, Associate Professors and Assistant Professors to be regularised in a given discipline. There is ambiguity also with regard to the nature of posts to be recognized i.e. whether these are already sanctioned posts of higher Education Department ( and so the selected candidates will therefore be transferred along with the post), or whether these are newly created ones. Since the Cluster Universities have been newly created ( as are the schools therein), it seems prima facie that the posts advertised are also newly created and if this is so, then, analogous to Central Universities of Jammu and Kashmir (or for that matter, any other university), every aspirant who fulfills the minimum eligibility criteria of UGC should be allowed to apply for the posts. What this notification translates into is that whereas those who are already employed are given an opportunity for career advancement, those who are unemployed are denied the right to employment per se. Withholding from them this right is a clear cut violation of the Article 16 of the Constitution of India, which stipulates, “There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any Office under the state”. The pretext of being an autonomous university cannot, of course, override the rights granted by the Constitution. Whether or not the advertisement notice is also a violation of Article 21 as well is something which is well left for the legal experts to comment upon. Suffice to say that the entire process is fundamentally flawed and besides doing injustice to thousands of eligible candidates, shall be fertile ground for litigations.
The Minister for HED (J and K) is requested to intervene personally in the matter and resolve the ambiguity at the earliest thus enabling thousands of otherwise eligible and bright students to aspire for the jobs.
Vikram Verma
MA (NET)
