GUWAHATI, July 25 - The ongoing pandemic has not only affected the academic activities of educational institutions, but a recent notification issued by the Registrar of Gauhati University also revealed how the higher educational institutions are reeling under an acute financial crisis amid the medical emergency.
Unfortunately, in case of GU, the brunt of this financial crisis has to be borne by a section of highly educated youths of the State, who were working at this premier educational institute as guest faculties and contractual teachers before start of the lockdown.
The notification, signed by the GU Registrar on June 25, read, �As directed, this is for information of all concerned that in view of the disproportionate income and expenditure of the university and current financial crunch likely to increase in this financial year, all appointments of guest faculties in all academic departments will not be considered beyond June 30. Moreover, all appointments or extension of contractual teachers will not be entertained beyond June 30.�
The notification further said that for programmes of studies including wildlife science, microbiology, M Ed, integrated commerce, University Law College, mass communication and journalism, sociology and women�s studies, the matter of appointment or renewal of appointments of contractual teachers is under active consideration.
When contacted, GU Registrar Dr Hemanta Kumar Nath told The Assam Tribune that the decision has been taken by considering various aspects of the university.
Meanwhile, president of the Gauhati University Teachers� Association (GUTA) Prof Akhil Ranjan Dutta said that the university authority has taken the decision after receiving instructions from the Chancellor and the State government.
�Both the Chancellor and the State government had been asking the university authority to do so for many days. They are of the opinion that it is not valid to engage contractual teachers when a good number of teaching posts are lying vacant in the institution,� Prof Dutta said.
According to a source, more than 100 teaching posts of the university are lying vacant and a process is under way to fill up some of the posts.
�From GUTA, we are demanding filling up of all the vacant posts. Secondly, for the departments which do not have the necessary number of sanctioned posts, the authority has to make proper arrangements to continue with the academic activity,� he added.
Terming contractual service a form of exploitation, Prof Dutta said GUTA is also demanding of the university authority to increase the salary of the contractual teachers who will not come under the June 25 notification.
