Self-financing college teachers under Calicut University pin hopes on Syndicate meeting
The last Syndicate meeting, held on March 20, had decided that only those who had cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET) of the University Grants Commission (UGC) would be allowed to continue as faculty members in the colleges from the next academic year.
Of the 400-odd colleges affiliated to the university, close to 300 are in the self-financing sector. There are around 15,000 teachers in these colleges, and a large number of them have not cleared the UGC-NET.
According to the UGC Regulations of 2018, in the absence of UGC-NET, PhD and MPhil qualified teachers, the colleges can appoint those who have scored 55% marks in their postgraduate courses.
In an order on April 21, the Director of the College Development Council (CDC) of the university asked Principals to furnish details of teachers in affiliated self-financing colleges, those at affiliated self-financing autonomous colleges, and those engaged in self-financing programmes within aided or unaided autonomous colleges by April 24.
In a letter to the university authorities, a collective of self-financing college teachers said that the registration of many experienced teachers had been removed from the university portal to enforce the latest directive.
The collective said that every time a new law affecting teachers was passed, steps were taken to protect the existing ones and urged the university to take a humane approach to their concerns. Calling the latest directive 'unilateral' and 'inhuman', they termed it a violation of the orders of the State government, which had taken a more lenient view on issues.
They pointed out that around two lakh students were studying in self-financing colleges affiliated to the university. Functionaries of the collective said that if their issues were not addressed, they would boycott the evaluation of answer scripts for sixth semester and second semester undergraduate courses and the practical examination duties in science subjects from April 28.
However, university sources told The Hindu on Thursday that a positive approach would be taken towards the concerns raised by the teachers. A new order has been reportedly issued directing Principals to upload details of the teachers on the college portals instead of submitting them to the CDC.
Also, they said that the latest order would not affect the existing staff. It was aimed at ensuring the quality of the academic staff in future, especially in institutions that have autonomous powers, they added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
Disquiet continues at Kerala University as V-C dissolves meeting over Registrar's presence
The power struggle at Kerala University raged on after Vice-Chancellor in-charge Mohanan Kunnummal abruptly dissolved a crucial meeting on Friday (August 1, 2025), citing objections to the presence of Registrar K.S. Anil Kumar, whose suspension remains a bone of contention. The online meeting was convened to discuss the utilisation of ₹100 crore allocation under the Centre's PM-USHA scheme. While the meeting was originally intended to be attended by members of the Board of Governors constituted for project implementation, the presence of others including Dr. Kumar and Syndicate members J.S. Shijukhan and R. Rajesh angered the Vice-Chancellor. While they refused to exit the virtual meeting on being asked, Dr. Kunnummal called off the proceedings. Sources said a heated argument broke out between the Vice-Chancellor and the Syndicate members, causing further disruption. Following the incident, the Vice-Chancellor issued a directive stating that the Syndicate hall be opened only during official committee meetings. He barred 'unauthorised entry' into the room by Syndicate members. He also instructed the staff to lock and secure the hall. Earlier, Left-backed Syndicate members reportedly engaged in an argument with a section of employees after the former summoned a few staff to the Syndicate room, questioning their compliance with the Vice-Chancellor's directive to restrict digital file access for the Registrar. This prompted the members of the Congress-backed university staff union to enter the Syndicate room in protest. They also alleged that the Syndicate members used inappropriate language towards the staff.
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Time of India
Cambodia to buy Boeing planes as Trump slashes US import tariffs
Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) Sun Chanthol has announced that Cambodia has purchased 10 Boeing aircraft from the United States, coinciding with a significant shift in trade policy between the two nations. The announcement was made today during a press conference highlighting recent positive developments for Cambodia. According to Chanthol, Cambodia has removed all tariffs on US goods, while the United States has reduced its import tariff on Cambodian products to 19%. Show more Show less
Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
US top medical body excludes health experts from vaccine advisory process
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told physician groups, public health professionals and infectious disease experts that they will no longer be invited to help review vaccine data and develop recommendations, according to an email viewed by Bloomberg. The panel's recommendations are important for vaccine access as they help determine which shots insurers are required to cover for free for patients. (Reuters file) The move marks an escalation in Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s efforts to assert control over the CDC's vaccine advisory process. Under the change, external experts will be excluded from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' working groups — subcommittees that review data and develop policy recommendations — but they will still be able to participate in open public meetings. The panel's recommendations are important for vaccine access as they help determine which shots insurers are required to cover for free for patients. Kennedy in June fired all its members and replaced them with his own picks, including members who have criticized the safety of the Covid vaccine. 'It is important that the ACIP workgroup activities remain free of influence from any special interest groups, so ACIP workgroups will no longer include liaison organizations,' the email said. It also characterized the groups as biased 'based on their constituency and/or population that they represent.' The CDC referred a request for comment to HHS. A spokesperson for HHS did not immediately respond. Noel Brewer, a professor of public health at the University of North Carolina and former member of ACIP who was ousted by Kennedy, said the working groups have long relied on the input of pediatricians, family physicians, gynecologists, nurses and other health professionals to ensure recommendations met the needs of patients and providers. 'This is a huge loss that will be very damaging to medical care,' Brewer said. Some of the groups that will be excluded from private deliberations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, sued Kennedy this month over his unilateral decision to change federal Covid vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women. The panel has become more high profile amid scrutiny of Kennedy's approach to vaccination policy. After Kennedy's confirmation, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy said that Kennedy had committed to maintaining the CDC's vaccine panel 'without changes.'
