Uniform Service Rules may become a reality soon

Vijayawada: The uniform service rules for teachers are likely to come into force within a week, given the tone and the tenor of a meeting convened by HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao with representatives from the Draft Rules Committee, HRD officials, MLCs representing teachers and teacher organizations here on Sunday.

After the meeting, the minister announced that the draft rules will be finanlised before September 14. The minister convened the meeting making way for the government to issue executive orders for bringing into force the Presidential Order in favour of the uniform service rules in the State.

The President gave his assent to the uniform service rules in August last in the backdrop of teachers working under government management opposing the move while their counterparts in the local bodies clamouring for it. The teachers of schools under government management are worried over denial of their prospects of promotions if the Uniform service rules are coming into play.

This feeling has prompted some of them to move the court in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh even after issue of the Presidential Orders. Responding to the petitions in Telangana, the court issued an interim order directing the Telangana government to maintain a status quo.

The government’s attempts to implement the Presidential Order for uniform service rules opened the Pandora’s Box with teachers working in Success Schools and their counterparts under the management of Tribal Welfare Department too began pitching for application of such rules even in their case during the promotions.

Teacher MLC Balasubramanyam emphasized the need to finalise the draft rules in such a manner that supervisory roles be delegated to those having qualifications in teaching and teaching experience for management of schools. Talking to The Hans India, Balasubramanyam said the proposals placed by the government for draft rules were by and large in match with the demands of MLCs and teacher organizations, barring a few reservations.

He said he had appealed to the government to effect the Uniform service rules in promotion of school teachers as junior lecturers without disturbing the existing contract lectures in junior colleges. Around 3,700 contract lecturers, engaged for several years, are fearing over their displacement in view of uniform service rules, he added.

A huge number of 1.8 lakh teachers working in local bodies will benefit from the combined service rules if they become a reality. MLCs Kathi Narasimha Reddy, Ramu Surya Rao, Gade Srinivasulu Naidu, Ramakrishna and Draft Rules Committee chairman K Satyanarayana attended the meeting.