Assam govt orders release of contractual staff from engineering colleges, polytechnics

Guwahati, Nov. 6: A government order directing removal of contractual staff has set off a storm in engineering colleges and polytechnics of Assam, a month after the State Cabinet decided to re-engage part-time faculties.

In September, the State Cabinet had decided to re-engage all the 451 part-time faculties against the existing vacant posts in the government engineering and polytechnics in Assam.

In a letter to the Director of Technical Education (DTE) recently, the Additional Secretary of Higher Education Department directed release of the part-time faculties engaged by the DTE in the engineering colleges and polytechnics and submit a formal proposal incorporating the proposed places of posting against their names in order to re-engage them on ad-hoc basis against sanctioned posts.

However, the Higher Education department has also asked the DTE to release all the part-time faculties engaged by the principal of the institutions and there has been no word on their re-absorption.

There are around 125 such faculties engaged by the principals in various engineering colleges and polytechnics, and their future now hangs in a balance.

It is learnt that the government has categorised the part-time faculties into three categories - one engaged by the DTE, the second engaged by the principals, and the third group has those engaged through the Central government's "TEQIP Programme'.

In Guwahati's Assam Engineering College (AEC) alone, there are 21 principal appointed faculties.

AEC's Engineering College Teachers' Association has dashed off a memorandum to the Chief Minister stating that the implementation of the government order will lead to an adverse situation in terms of AICTE approval and NBA accreditation of the Assam Engineering College (AEC) as the faculty strength will go below the required numbers for AICTE approval and NBA (National Board of Accreditation) accreditation, affecting the minimum required student faculty ratio in most of the NBA-accredited departments.

The Assam Engineering College is at present in the process submitting compliance for NBA accreditation for the third consecutive time and renewal of NBA accreditation is due early next year.

The AEC and Jorhat Engineering College are the two engineering colleges of the State having prestigious NBA accreditation. The AEC has its five departments accredited by the NBA.

Six senior faculty members from the Assam Engineering College were also recently transferred to other engineering colleges of the State.

Faculty members also pointed out that some of the part-time faculties engaged through TEQIP are from outside the State and retaining them while depriving the locals was unfair.

- By Staff Reporter