Agri varsity teachers protest delay in promotions

Shimla: Teachers at CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur, staged a one-day strike on Monday, suspending all academic activities in protest against the prolonged delay in faculty promotions under the career advancement scheme (CAS).The agitation was jointly led by associations representing the agriculture and veterinary faculty members at the university's main campus, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and research centres across Himachal Pradesh.The protest was held in response to a state-wide call by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) representing teachers of universities and govt colleges.Faculty members accused the Himachal Pradesh govt of deliberately stalling the CAS promotions for over three-and-a-half years despite repeated representations, meetings and memorandums.They said the delay caused widespread frustration, with several teachers nearing retirement without receiving promotions under the UGC's time-bound career advancement scheme.Prof Janardan Singh, chairman of the JAC, said teachers continued to discharge academic, research and administrative responsibilities with dedication despite their demands being ignored.He termed CAS promotions a statutory right essential for encouraging academic and research excellence.Teacher associations warned that the agitation would be intensified if the govt failed to take an early decision on the pending promotions.MSID:: 131017423 413 |