The primary task before us is to strengthen PUTA and take up long pending issues of the teaching fraternity. More than ever before the role of PUTA to monitor the well-being of teachers becomes very important. We have seen that results are delayed, Form -16 not supplied in time, the departments are left with little staff, and the University roads face traffic snarls. Every now and then, the University passes the buck on to the faculty in a manner which is insulting and humiliating. The Chairpersons are hard-pressed as every task of central administration is passed on to the staff-starved departments in the name of ‘autonomy’. Key administrative posts are vacant since long and adhoc arrangements are effecting severely the functioning of the University. The retired faculty is given re-employment in instalments instead of offering it in one go for three years. While we shall work for on agenda spelled out below, our major concern would be to defend the dignity of teachers. We shall try to promptly attend to the grievances of the teachers, and work for their redressal.Our priorities would be:
1. Promotions of Faculty: Despite endeavours by various PUTAs CAS promotions continue to suffer. We shall ensure that the pending applications for promotions are processed within three months. Also the colleagues from the Dental Institute have not yet been considered for CAS despite the fact that a policy has already been finalized. IT/Computers professionals in the University, who have worked overtime to provide us prompt e-services are yet to be brought under any promotion-policy. We shall work towards their promotions.
2. Recruitment of New Faculty: Despite our surveys and open appeals, the University administration continues to neglect the urgent need to recruit new faculty in various departments. The departments are awfully under-staffed and there is a shortage of about 40% teaching faculty. We intend to focus on immediate recruitments in departments which are on the brink of collapse due to shortage of faculty. There is substantial number of ad-hoc faculty which has been working in various departments, particularly in upcoming institutes, for more than five years. We shall press upon the University administration to regularize their services.
3. Working towards Central Funding/ Central University Status for the University: The issue of Central Funding is still hanging fire. We shall pursue the matter rigorously and try to work towards the removal of administrative bottlenecks. We shall try to neutralize opposition to it through dialogue and persuasion.
4. Enhancement of Age of Retirement: The matter is pending in the court. We shall coordinate, as in the past, the efforts of the faculty to get relief in the courts. We shall keep contacts with various national and regional teachers’ associations to remain abreast with the latest developments in this regard.
5. Better Research Conditions: Due to the efforts of previous PUTAs, the office of Dean, Research was created, but the problems pertaining to timely release of grants continue to remain. The auditors put all kinds of spanners to discourage research. We shall try to streamline the administrative bottlenecks dealing with the auditing of the research grants.
6. Processing of Study Leave: On one pretext or the other teachers applying for study leave are denied their right to proceed on leave. Many new departments (such as UIET, UILS, UIAMS, HSJIDS) consist of non-Ph.D. young-faculty. For their future promotions, they need to enhance their qualifications, but the University authorities ignore their requests. The time taken for the processing of cases of study leave is inordinately long. We shall try to ensure that teachers applying for study leave are granted leave within a time-frame.
7. M. Tech Increments to Colleagues from UIET: This issue continues to persist, despite UGC and AICTE norms allow two additional increments to colleagues who have done their M.Tech. Why should the University refuse these two increments to young faculty in UIET? We shall once again press hard on the grant of these increments.
8. Academic Status to Library Professionals: We would work for the implementation of UGC recommendation for giving academic status to Library professionals (from Assist Libs onwards).
9. Streamlining Pension: We shall work for the streamlining of the functioning of the Pension Scheme and try to ensure the implementation of the latest UGC guidelines on Pension.
10. Chaos of API Scores for promotion: We would demand the review of API Score requirement by the UGC, for the promotion of the faculty, in coordination with the All India Federation of University and College Teacher Organisations (AIFUCTO).
11. Better Working Conditions for the Faculty:
• The lack of air circulation in some of the buildings has made working of the faculty very difficult and unbearable. We shall ask for suitable modifications in this regard.
• In Sector25, there should be a park along with swings for the children.
• Those coming from Sector-25 have real problems negotiating the road divider. We shall persuade the University authorities to open a gate right in front of the Sector-14 University gate No 3 so that an unnecessary traffic risks could be avoided.
• The clinics at the Dental Institute should be air-conditioned, because in humid weather it becomes difficult to operate patients. Doctors have to wear face masks and lab-coats.
12. Extension of Internet Facility: We shall explore the possibility of extending internet/Wi-Fi facility to residences in the campus on mutually agreeable payment terms.
13. Renovations/ Repair of the University Residences: At the moment, the teachers who have been allotted houses fail to take possession of the new houses for months together as the repair work of the houses is at a very slow pace. Old T-II and TF houses are in bad shape, and they need immediate repair and whitewash.
14. To Make Teachers’ Club Functional: Due to the efforts of previous PUTA, the space has been allocated to Teachers’ Club, but nothing substantial has been done to re-activate it. We shall ensure that it becomes a hub of activities.
Besides the above listed issues, we shall work towards a revised PUTA constitution to accommodate recent changes in the faculty profile. Also we shall launch a debate on administrative reforms to meet the upcoming challenges. The above list of priorities is not exhaustive and as we move among the faculty we shall get to know more pressing issues that confront us.