Senior faculty under JNTUK losing promotions, monetory benefits

KAKINADA: Senior teaching faculty with university colleges of engineering under Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada (JNTUK) are losing monetary benefits as well as position in academic circles due to the university delaying their promotions under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS).
Teaching faculties of these colleges in Kakinada, Vizianagaram and Narsaraopeta are very disappointed and discouraged as a result.

According to University Grants Commission (UGC) norms, a faculty member having a Ph. D, who completes four years of service as an assistant professor, or six years service without Ph. D., is eligible for Assistant Professor Senior Scale. Then, once he has five years service, he can get Assistant Professor Selection Grade. After three years of experience, he can become Associate Professor. Thereafter, in another three years, he can get the Professor’s post.

In addition, the faculty member must get additional marks through career development, like by presenting research papers in seminars, national and international conferences, apart from publishing papers in prestigious journals. If the faculty member can meet all these criteria, he is eligible for further promotions. But, according to faculty of the university colleges, though they are having all the eligibility criteria, they have not got promotions for the past two years.

Teachers’ Association of University College of Engineering, Kakinada, president K. Venkata Reddy said, “According to UGC norms, a faculty member can submit application three months before he becomes eligible for the upgraded post. Following that, the university should give promotion through a notification within six months. But this has not happened for the past two years,” he pointed out.

He said to avoid further delay under Career Advancement Scheme (CAS), the university or college must immediately initiate the process of screening or selection. But this process has not yet been completed by the administration. “It is very unfortunate that members who have applied are distressed both mentally and physically,” he remarked.

JNTUK registrar Ch. Satyanarayana has, however, said the issue has been delayed due to some technical reasons. It would be sorted out soon, he assured.