Universities contract faculty demands job security

Universities contract faculty demands job security
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Welcoming the decision of the government to fill 1,104 faculty positions in all the universities, members of Universities Teachers’ Association (Contract) resorted to indefinite hunger strike at Andhra University main entrance here on Tuesday.

Visakhapatnam: Welcoming the decision of the government to fill 1,104 faculty positions in all the universities, members of Universities Teachers’ Association (Contract) resorted to indefinite hunger strike at Andhra University main entrance here on Tuesday.

Before conducting screening test to fill the vacant posts, they demanded that the state government provide job security to 1,500 contract assistant professors working already in several state universities as well as ‘equal pay for equal work’.

They urged the government to form a high-power committee with the Vice Chancellors as members to study the service conditions and problems of contract-based assistant professors.

Speaking to The Hans India, the protesting faculty members claimed that got selected by eight-member selection committee which also had the then Vice-Chancellor as chairman in 2005. For this process, a notification/circular was issued by Andhra University as well as further selections were also made depending upon the work load in various departments, they maintained.

“Contract assistant professors started their career in 2005 by drawing Rs 6,000 salary per month and now it touched Rs 28,000 mark. This wage is very low when compared to a regular assistant professor, who is drawing Rs 70,000 per month,” pointed out Dr K Arjunudu, president of University Teachers’ Association (Contract).

There was no direct recruitment for assistant professor posts in unified Andhra Pradesh and post bifurcation as well for the past 15 years, he pointed out. He said in Andhra University alone there are 117 contract-based assistant professors working. Interestingly, they disclosed that temporary assistant professors were exhibited as regular faculty to secure NAAC grade ‘A’ as well as ranks from various national and international organisations. According to the association, nearly 80 per cent of temporary assistant professors belong to SC, ST, BC, minority and women.

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