Though around 35 Government degree colleges and Government-aided degree colleges across the State have applied to get affiliation for the upcoming evening classes from Sri Dev Suman Uttarakhand University and Kumaon University, the college principals are in trouble while they are mulling to invite visiting faculties to take evening classes with the State Government having fixed Rs 250 per class for the visiting faculty.
The amount thus proposed is not just paltry, but is going against the University Grants Commission guidelines, asking for the professor or senior associate professors be paid at least Rs 1,000 per class.
Higher Education deputy director NP Maheshwari said that the State Government has recently allocated Rs seven crore to upgrade the infrastructure of the existing Government degree colleges. College principals can recruit staff as per their requirement to start evening classes in their respective colleges, he added. Maheshwari said the amount would be adequate for engaging teaching staff members for evening classes.
"However, if the college principals fail, the Government may recruit some teachers on contractual basis for the evening classes in all the Government degree colleges in the State," he added.
Contractual teachers will be recruited by a committee headed by the district magistrate. As per the Government norms, a college principal will be paid Rs 400 (maximum Rs 10,000 in a month) per day for running evening classes while Rs 300 would be paid to clerical staff (maximum Rs 6000 in a month) and Rs 200 to peon (maximum Rs 4000 in a month). College will generate its own resources for lighting, science laboratories and others, he added.
Some DBS (PG) College associate professors opined, "Hardly a retired professor or associate professor would agree to take evening classes for Rs 250 per class. This goes against the University Grants Commission guidelines on the matter. Why the college teacher would take the pains to take evening classes after working in the morning hours in the college if they are not paid as per the UGC normsIJ In Humanities, the teaching staff members who have recently superannuated may be ready to take classes for Rs 250, but Science teachers who are running tuition classes would not agree to take classes for the extremely un-enticing amount."
DBS (PG) College principal said, "We have applied for getting affiliation for evening classes from Sri Dev Suman Uttarakhand University. We will start admission process for evening classes if University allocates seats for admissions in bachelor degree courses."
Notably, as many as 15 Government degree and Government-aided degree colleges across Garhwal Division have written to Sri Dev Suman Uttarakhand University for affiliation for conducting evening classes.
This aside, as many as 20 Government degree colleges have applied for the same to Kumaon University. As per University Grants Commission-envisaged norms, 60-80 students will be incorporated in each batch. Based on the available infrastructure, two or three batches will be allowed in a college, sources added.