Ph.D. degree holders demand withdrawal of new DHE guidelines

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: The new guidelines for the selection of Assistant Professors, Librarians in provincialized colleges and government model colleges, issued by the Director of Higher Education through a office memorandum (OM) vide No. AHE. 407/2017/153 dated November 17, 2020 has provoked strong reaction among the Ph.D degree holders of the State and those who are in the final stage of their Ph.D. These guidelines have poured cold water on their optimism of being college teacher even after achieving requisite qualifications with hardwork and perseverance.

In this regard, a group of Ph.D. degree holders in a written statement alleged that this guideline was only applicable to a particular category of applicants.

"We are shocked and disappointed to see the directive issued by the Department of Higher Education (DHE), Assam issued through an amended guideline for the recruitment of Assistant Professors/Librarians in provincialized colleges of Assam. The regulation was published on November 18, 2020 as per Government Office Memorandum vide No. AHE. 407/2017/153 dated November 17, 2020 is truly thought-provoking. It has become very clear that this guideline is only applicable to a particular category of applicants. This recruitment guideline purely shatters and rejects our years of motivation to be a college teacher after pursuing our Ph.D.," the statement said.

According to them, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has a well-organized guideline for the appointment of Assistant or Associate Professors of the College. However, the DHE, Assam makes its own rules and regulations. Many universities and college governing bodies of other States made some changes in the guidelines issued by UGC but it doesn't hamper one's right. The DHE in particular, adds academic marks of an applicant from High School Leaving Certificate examination to post-graduation whereas, UGC and many other governing bodies do it from graduate to post-graduation level of the applicant.

"But now the distribution of such numbers according to the new DHE guidelines has only increased the employment opportunities for the new generation, especially for those who have obtained a master's degree two or three years back. Talking about Ph.D. graduates, it has slashed the aspirations of those who graduated almost ten to twelve years ago. These rules have made their faith, years of experience to be a teacher is simply worthless," they said

The Ph.D. degree holders added that in recruitment process, the marks were given separately for both NET and SLET and Ph.D. degrees according to UGC regulations,

"According to the rules of DHE, Assam, only those with NET or SLET and having Ph.D. degree gets 9 marks in total but not in particular and 2 marks for MPhil with NET or SLET. It is pitiful to say that we have to complete this expensive Ph.D. programme without any grant from the university and therefore we are making repeated requests to at least give some marks for the Ph.D. holders separately. According to UGC and MHRD by July 2021 it will be mandatory for all college teachers to have a Ph.D. degree, but it is ridiculous to see a guideline by DHE who doesn't pay any interest for research and is still flouting the blind rules. We demand to make Ph.D. compulsory here as well. Also, reduce the academic number and add more numbers to the Ph.D. And therefore the number of research papers has been reduced by the new regulations. Earlier it was 25 and now it is 18 (mistake in the guideline because it is written 20 but if we total, it comes out as 18, they haven't scrutinized after preparing the draft)," they further stated.

According to them, the effect of reducing and deleting the number from all the important subjects like a research paper, conference paper, book chapter to the previous rules will not be beneficial at all. Surprisingly, from now on, no numbers will be added to the conference. And cut those numbers and connect them to the three new starting points. The first one needs to have an NCC (C) certificate (1 mark), winning a gold medal at a youth festival/university week (1 mark), and representing the State in Olympic at the national level (1 mark).

"In light of all this, the discrepancies in the new guidelines are clear. This will deprive many people like us of the rights they deserve even after they qualify. The previous instructions were also very acceptable. However, the new guidelines did not give the slightest hope of getting the number," the statement added.

Under such circumstances, the Ph.D. degree holders demanded the DHE and the State Government to formulate a new and well-organized guideline which will give priority to people with more experience and qualifications or to follow UGC guidelines.

"The disregard for modern technology research is certainly not a good sign for the state. This is because it is easy to imagine how reasonable it is for future generations to be left in the hands of a teacher who is engaged in such inconsistent rules," they stated in the statement.

In this connection, they also expressed resentment over the charge of high amount of fees which they need to pay through demand draft to apply for the posts after being advertised. The fee ranges from Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,500.

"Only an unemployed youth understand the value of such an amount and energy required to raise the same amount of money," they expressed demanding the revision of the amount.

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