An Open Letter to,
Prof. M Jagdish Kumar
Chairman, UGC,
New Delhi.
Sub: Erroneous clarification issued by UGC on advance and in service increments for M Phil/MTech & PhD degree holders; re
Sir,
Through this open letter we wish to draw your immediate attention to the clarification issued by UGC office on advance and in service increments for teachers with M Phil/MTech and PhD degrees. This is patently an erroneous and misleading clarification with a potential of generating massive unrest and agitation in the teaching community of university and college teachers of India. It is deliberately worded to spread anger against the current Government. This clarification tantamounts to withdrawing a policy decision of the GoI implemented 7 years back after due deliberation at all appropriate levels.
The aforementioned increments for MPhil and PhD were an integral part of all the UGC PRCs(4th,5th and 6th). These increments are granted to attract highly qualified scholars to join the teaching profession and attain higher degrees during service. In Nov 2017, when the Govt. announced the 7th UGC PRC Report, there was an attempt to withdraw these increments. However there was stiff and well reasoned opposition to the attempted withdrawal. That persuaded both the Union Govt. and the UGC to restore these increments for the higher degree holders : PhDs and MPhils/MTech.
The UGC Regulation of 2018, clearly and unambiguously provided advance and in service increments to higher degree holders.
We, the two undersigned, have personal knowledge of all the events and processes that took place during Nov/Dec 2017 to June 2018 which resulted in the restoration of the advance and in service increments for MPhils/MTechs and PhD degree holders. One of us (Inder Mohan Kapahy) was a member of the UGC during that period and the other (Prof A K Bhagi) was elected teacher representative on DU Executive Council. Along with others, we participated in the discussions and negotiations that resulted into promulgation of the 2018 Regulations which, inter alia, explicitly restored the advance and in service increments for higher degree holders. These Regulations obviously had the approval of then Ministry of Education, Govt of India. All Regulations of UGC are promulgated after the Govt approval. These Regulations were duly incorporated in the University Ordinances. Therefore, to issue a clarification on the basis of pre 2018 UGC Regulations ( that is one the basis of 2017 Govt notification) is patently erroneous.
There seems to be an attempt on the part of the UGC to dissuade higher qualified persons to join the teaching profession. That is why the decades long practice of granting incentives to teachers for higher degrees is sought to be discontinued by the UGC through an erroneous and mischievous ‘clarification’. No clarification can annul the UGC 2018 Regulation on advance and in-service increments for higher degrees. This so called clarification by the UGC bureaucracy is not only anti-teachers, it is anti academic. It is aimed at lowering the academic standards of higher education in India. The UGC seems to instilling fear of unjustifiable recoveries from those teachers who had been granted increments by the UGC 2018 Regulations and denying such increments in future. This cannot be accepted and shall force teachers to fight this illogical clarification by the UGC bureaucracy. We consider this as a deliberate attempt by the UGC establishment to cause unrest in the university systems .
This erroneous and mischievous clarification must be immediately withdrawn.
Dr. AK Bhagi
President, DUTA
Inder M Kapahy
Former Member UGC.
