Bhopal: About 1000 candidates selected through PSC 2017 for posts of assistant professors organised a protest march and met higher education minister to press for appointment on Wednesday. Selected candidates came from across the state and met the higher education minister Jitu Patwari to listen to their grievance.
After listening to their grievance, Patwari said that the government will also take care of guest faculty. There still exist about 5000 vacancies. Even after absorbing all of you there still will be 2500 vacancies. State government will take care of all, he added.
Minister said that the higher education department had filed the reply in court as well trying to pave way for appointments for the selected candidates. This recruitment was done after about 26 years. Last recruitment was done in the year 1992 in which about 3000 assistant professors were appointed. In past 26 year numbers of colleges increased but the number of faculty didn’t.
Guest faculty do not compulsorily posses all the eligibilities prescribed by the UGC. Moreover, they are engaged with a clause mentioning that this is completely a temporary arrangement and one may be removed if a permanent faculty is transferred on its post, said president of the selected candidates union, Prakash Khatarkar.
Government of the day made provision of giving 20 marks extra for the guest faculty who appeared in the recruitment exam. But still those unsuccessful in the exam are trying to stall the whole process. Several petitions were filed at various levels to cancel the exam. In the beginning they were successful but later even the courts said that the recruitment process should go on. Some criticised abolishing of interview part but court rejected their plea.
“Some people are spreading false news related with this recruitment. The result shows that 45% guest faculty that applied got selected,” said Khatarkar. “Government is forced to send teachers on deployment for two months because of shortage whereas more than two thousand teachers who are already selected are being ignored,” he added. The court has put stay on issuing appointment as officials of higher education department could not file answer in time in the court.
