Concerns raised over ‘dilution of UGC norms’ for appointment of Gulati Institute director

T'puram: The state govt's move to appoint a new director for Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation (GIFT) has invited criticism for allegedly watering down the UGC qualification norms prescribed for the institute director. Save University Campaign Committee (SUCC) said the notification issued by GIFT on Feb 6 inviting applications for the post of director diluted the essential qualification. "According to the notification, candidates without the basic qualification for a professor can also become the director of the institution. However, the scale of pay offered in the notification is equal to Academic Level 14, which is equal to that of a professor under the UGC 2018 Scheme," SUCC said. GIFT, an autonomous institution of the govt of Kerala and a research centre of Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), issued a notification inviting applications for the post of director. "The Gulati Institute, an approved research institution under CUSAT, follows UGC-prescribed qualifications and pay scales for all teaching posts. The post of director in similar research institutions is treated as equivalent to that of a vice-chancellor (VC) in terms of qualifications and salary. It is academically and professionally inappropriate to appoint a person below the rank of a professor who is supposed to direct and guide professors, associate professors and assistant professors," the committee pointed out in the petitions submitted to the governor, chief minister and Cusat VC. The removal of rank-based safeguards (professor or equivalent) present in the 2019 notification by GIFT may now broaden discretion in candidate evaluation under the 2026 notification framework, the petition said. "There is a move to appoint a person by relaxing the prescribed qualifications before the end of the current govt's term. It is alleged that the qualifications were diluted and a notification was hurriedly issued in order to appoint a person close to finance minister K N Balagopal as director. Unlike earlier occasions, the time period for receiving applications was reduced from one month to 15 days, allegedly to ensure that the appointment is completed before the election notification is issued," SUCC said. The state finance department had on Feb 5 constituted a search committee headed by V K Ramachandran, vice-chairman of the state planning board, to conduct interviews and submit a panel of candidates.