JNTU-H VC faces tough challenge

Hyderabad: A controversial practice of ratifying candidates for faculty selections is staring in the face of the recently appointed Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad (JNTU-H), Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Katta Narasimha Reddy.

With a single line – "This candidate is ratified subject to the verification of UG/PG degree – the JNTU-H Selection Committee Meeting (SCM) is allegedly overlooking its specific task of verifying the degrees of the prospective faculty members. As per the norms, every candidature of faculty member employed in the affiliated colleges will have to be ratified by the SCM. It should check the degrees obtained by the candidates were valid as per the norms of the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the affiliating university.

The new V-C is now faced with the task of making the SCM carry out its designated responsibilities effectively. Charges against it are being levelled by faculty members from several private engineering, management and pharmacy colleges, who are aggrieved that even those with invalid degrees have been allowed to work as faculty members. They are planning to mount pressure on the varsity to rectify the anomaly. They are networking among themselves to take on the powers-that-be at the university.

They complain that those who have studied hard and obtained proper degrees from undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees for entering into employment are at a serious disadvantage due to the faulty working of the SCM.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior faculty member from a top private engineering college, located in Ghatkesar, said, "The minimum qualification for the appointment of a faculty members is a valid post-graduate degree in the subject concerned, or in the approved allied fields by the AICTE." Also, the candidate should fulfil the norms related to the specialisation at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. That apart, the degrees should have been issued by the public or private universities established and approved by the UGC.

The SCM should verify the veracity of the degrees issued to the prospective faculty members and certify if they are issued by an approved university or HEI from the UGC. The major issue now before the new VC is that the JNTU-H appointed SCM has been reportedly giving ratifications routinely.

When it is the very job of the SCM to verify the degrees, how it can simply ratification 'subject to the verification of the undergraduate and postgraduate degrees,' ask the faculty. The V-C should look into how the SCM can shrug off its responsibilities in so casual manner, they ask.