A raw deal to undergraduate Principals

Professors, Principals and Lecturers presently drawing 6th U.G.C pay scales in A.P have been a cursed lot, since 12 years have already elapsed due to non-implementation of the 7th U.G.C pay scales. In case of state employees, they are benefited from the 10th PRC for all these years and are getting ready to enjoy the 11th PRC scales. Previously the central government magnanimously gave 80 per cent financial assistance to all states in the matter of UGC scales for a period of five years but the present government has drastically reduced the quantum of assistance to 50 per cent casting a heavy burden on states particularly on the newly bifurcated A.P Sate.

The policies adopted by MHRD, New Delhi are myopic and discriminatory with regard to UG Principals in their pay scale. It originally issued orders favouring the merger of UG-PG Principals and accepted a single scale equivalent to that of Professor, but to the dismay and disappointment, they gave up their previous commitment and stuck to the original pay scale difference between UG and PG Principals. Their policies are arbitrary, discriminatory and hence reprehensible.

Moreover, as per the previous 6th pay scale of 2006, U.G Principals and Professors were placed in the AGP Rs 10,000 PB Rs 37,000- Rs 67,000. But in the latest 7th pay revision of 2016, the Principals of U.G colleges is placed in the lower scale of Academic level with rationalized pay entry of Rs 1,31,400 while the P.G Principals are placed in Academic level 14 with rationalized entry pay of Rs 1,44,200/-

It is too obvious to mention that many of the Retired Principals who worked in Degree colleges had no opportunity to serve any PG College as no P.G Courses were available in the affiliated Degree colleges of any University. The issue of UG-PG doesn’t apply to them and hence all retired Degree college Principals are entitled to a Professor’s scale of Academic level 14 with a pay of Rs.1, 44,200 irrespective of UG-PG difference.
Strong representations have been made by various retired college Teachers’ Associations. Particularly,the Letter of General Secretary AIFRUCTA, KT Venkatacharyulu of August 6 was directly addressed to the Prime Minister which contains the following significant points and they deserve his attention for immediate redressal and rectification of U.G. Principal’s scale:

(1) On our representation, we were glad to note the Draft of UGC Regulation recommended that Professors and Principals of U.G.C are merged ie Rs. 1,44,200/-
(2) But in the final Gazette the notification Dt 18-07-2018, the change is not seen and hence the original obnoxious order remains.
(3) Adding insult to injury a junior in 13(a) i.e Rs1,31,400/- scale on promotion in the scale is fixed on Rs 1,44,200/- over and above the scale of Principal, superceding the senior without any additional responsibility.
The above glaring anomalies as pointed out by the General Secretary of AIFRUCTA amply prove the lack of expertise and experience of those who are assigned the task of formulating and fixing the bewildering pay scales of various teachers with different designations. The men at the helm of affairs are blissfully unaware of the mode of postings of Principals in Govt. Degree Colleges .

More often than not, a junior most principal is posted to a college where P.G courses are available while senior most principal grudgingly works in a rural college sans P.G courses. In these hapless and peculiar circumstances, one wonders why the senior most principal gets 13 (a) scale of Rs 1,31,400/- and correspondingly his Junior draws a higher pay scale equivalent to that of a Professor. Thus the frequent transfers of principals from UG to PG colleges and vice –versa becomes a conundrum in view of the preposterous fixation of different pay scales to U.G-P.G Principals.

Such inconsistent, anomalous pay fixation automatically merits the intervention of Judiciary. Owning to unimaginative, illogical orders, some disgruntled senior staff of yesteryears belonging to Govt Engineering and Arts colleges approached the courts and won their cases. They received huge arrears causing a great financial burden to the state exchequer due to wrong G.Os. I am afraid that the present UGC orders pertaining to UG Principals may coerce for judicial redressal if the discriminatory order is not dispensed with immediately.

Pertaining to parity in Pay Revision of the pay scales of 2006, UGC pensioners are unjustly treated and met with callous apathy for all these years. It is high time that MHRD has issued relevant orders and the pending arrears are paid without any further delay.

- N K VISWESWARA RAO