FEDCUTA PRESS HANDOUT - 20.10.2008

The FEDCUTA expresses its deep anguish on the reported move of the officials of Ministry of Finance, Government of India to tamper with the recommendations of the UGC PRC Report on pay scales and other related issues.

It is also learnt that bureaucrats of the Union Ministry of Finance (while considering the recommendations of the UGC) have suggested hierarchy amongst Lecturers too by introducing different pay scales for Ph.Ds and non-Ph.Ds (instead of incentives / increments for those joining with Ph.D.). This unprecedented move could raise the number of pay scales amongst teachers to eight against the policy of the Central Pay Commission to reduce the number of pay scales.

It further pointed out that there are certain stark anomalies in the recommendations of the UGC Pay Review Committee (i.e., Chadha Committee) as well as the modified recommendations adopted by the UGC and sent to the Government of India. Some of these anomalies include creation of hierarchy amongst Professors and Readers, discrimination against other academic staff such as Librarians and Computer Programmers, linking annual student evaluation / peer review to all promotions including Senior Lecturer, Reader, Professor and so called Senior Professor. Chadha Committee and UGC have suggested seven pay scales for teachers instead of existing four pay scales.

The FEDCUTA demands continuance of the existing 4 pay scale structure with suggested single pay scale of so called Senior professor for all Professors, Reader’s Grade as amended by the UGC to PB-4, Professor promotion in colleges and single scale for Lecturers as recommended by the UGC with increments for Ph.D. & M.Phil. and for Senior Lecturer the Grade Pay should be 7600 instead of 7200. The FEDCUTA also demands removal of other anomalies too as pointed out by it to the UGC and MHRD.

It is with great pain that the teaching community of Universities and Colleges has had to launch a long term agitation including demonstration, dharna, hunger strike and indefinite strike in order to protect the hard won benefits – pay scales and defeat official attempts to create new hierarchies, additional pay scales and anomalies which would strike a deadly blow to teachers’ morale and academic atmosphere in the universities.

To register strong protest against anti-teacher moves and to demand removal of anomalies in accordance with FEDCUTA’s charter, it has been decided to observe strike on 22nd and 23rd October, 2008 in all the Central Universities.

The Charter of Demands:

1. Continuance of the existing four scale structure i.e., Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader and Professor.
2. One scale for all Lecturers as proposed by the Chadha Committee and recommended by the UGC with increments for M.Phil. and Ph.D.
3. PB-4 for all Readers / Lecturer in Reader’s Grade.
4. Professor promotion in colleges.
5. Parity to Librarians and other academic staff with teachers in terms of retirement age, study leave, etc.
6. Removal of hierarchy amongst Professors.
7. No linking of student evaluation / peer review to promotions.

It was further decided to organize a massive demonstration in front of the Parliament on 5th November 2008 to press for the immediate acceptance of our demands.