Uncertainty Over Smooth Academic Session In Colleges: Assam College Teachers’ Association

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Uncertainty looms large over smooth beginning of the academic session in colleges in Assam from August with Dispur remaining adamant to go ahead with its move to prohibit engagement of teaching and non-teaching staff in provincialized colleges on a temporary basis.

The Assam College Teachers’ Association (ACTA) said the colleges are in an uncertain state as the government is not in a mood to withdraw or cancel its move. “If the situation doesn’t change there will be a stalemate in the colleges. We requested the government in February to reconsider its decision. But there has not been any decision so far,” an office-bearer of the ACTA said.

The State Government has not created a single post in the older provincialized colleges and there are insufficient numbers of vacant posts in the newly-provincialized colleges, whereas enrolment has been more than double in the last thirty years.

The ACTA has accused the government of not giving permission to fill up vacant posts in Grade IV category for the last several years, forcing the colleges to depend on temporary staff.

“In the teaching and non-teaching category also, appointment has been virtually stopped for the last few years. More than 1,000 sanctioned posts in teaching category and more than 500 posts in the non-teaching category are lying vacant in the colleges. The colleges are forced to engage temporary staff to maintain classes,” the ACTA office-bearer said.

Under such circumstances the ACTA office-bearer said it will be very tough to run academic and administrative affairs of colleges smoothly if the government does not allow appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff on contractual basis.

The Assam College Principals’ Council has urged the government to withdraw its order immediately so as to make imparting quality education possible.

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