Cotton researchers concerned over proposed changes to College Employees Act

Guwahati, Nov 23: The Cotton University PhD Researchers Association (CURSA) on Friday expressed its concerns over the draft of the proposed Assam College Employees (Provincialized) Regulations, 2024, which amends the Assam College Employees (Provincialized) Act, 2005 regarding the appointment of teachers and other staff at provincialized colleges and related employment rules. CURSA's ad-hoc committee president Jintu Thakuria and general secretary Tribhujbal Prakash in a press release stated that if the Assam College Employees (Provincialized) Regulations, 2024, come into effect, it will cripple the higher education system in the state.

"The draft proposes that for college teacher recruitment, instead of considering qualifications such as PhD, MPhil, research experience, teaching experience, and academic competency, a civil service-like exam conducted by the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) will be introduced. In such a scenario, the research efforts and contributions of candidates will be rendered meaningless in the recruitment process," stated the release. "Moreover, the significant physical and mental effort, time, and money invested by candidates engaged in research would be disregarded. Additionally, for candidates involved in research, preparing for a general exam based on an unrelated syllabus outside the subject domain seems impractical. The committee questions why candidates with specific subject knowledge should be selected based on general knowledge, such as current affairs, rather than their expertise in the relevant subject area," it added.

The representatives of the association further stated that since candidates are already eligible to apply for college teaching positions after clearing NET or SLET exams, introducing an additional exam would be illogical. They suggest that the existing recruitment process needs reform, not a complete overhaul, and that the proposed draft cannot replace the current system. Acknowledging the need for a central recruitment system for college teacher appointments, the press release also stated that in such a system, the research experience, teaching experience, and academic competency of the candidates must still be prioritised.

"If an exam is to be held, it should follow the format of NET/SLET, which tests subject-specific knowledge and research-related topics, rather than following the pattern of a civil service exam," the release stated.

By-

Staff Correspondent