Chennai, Nov 17 (IANS) Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss on Monday accused the DMK government of “deliberately” discriminating against teachers working in government-aided colleges by denying them rightful promotions and financial benefits guaranteed under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS).

He said that the government was attempting to systematically weaken aided institutions and deprive both teachers and students of their legitimate educational rights.

According to Ramadoss, the state government issued a Government Order (GO) on January 11, 2021, to implement promotions under the CAS for teachers in government universities, government colleges and government-aided colleges.

Rules for the promotions were published on May 4, 2021, while government-college and university teachers have been receiving promotions along with corresponding pay hikes and arrears, aided-college teachers continue to be denied these benefits, he said.

Under CAS norms, assistant professors in aided private colleges must be promoted to Senior Assistant Professor four years after obtaining a PhD, or within five years if they do not hold a PhD, he said.

Ramadoss added that their pay must also be revised accordingly, adding that the Senior Assistant Professors completing five years of service are eligible for promotion to Assistant Professor (Selection Grade), and those completing three years in that grade should be elevated to Associate Professor.

“After three more years, they become eligible for promotion to Professor,” he said

Ramadoss pointed out that while many aided-college teachers qualify for these promotions, their pay revision – effective from the date of promotion – has been denied in most districts.

“Of the eight zones under the Directorate of Collegiate Education, only Coimbatore and Thanjavur districts have implemented both promotions and pay hikes. In Chennai, Tiruchi, Madurai, Vellore, Dharmapuri and Tirunelveli zones, teachers have received promotions on paper but are yet to receive revised salaries and arrears,” he claimed.

He added that withholding financial approval also blocks aided-college teachers from being entered into the Integrated Financial and Human Resource Management System (IFHRMS), which is essential for recognising promotions.

He said that without IFHRMS inclusion, newly-promoted Associate Professors cannot guide PhD scholars.

“Had promotions been properly recognised, more than 1,000 students could have enrolled for doctoral research in the last three years,” he noted, accusing the government of punishing students by targeting teachers.

Ramadoss recalled that Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy (incorrect in Malayalam; original mentions K.V. Chezhiyan) had assured teacher representatives on June 23 that revised salaries and arrears would be released in the July pay bill.

“In typical DMK style, this promise too was broken,” he said, alleging that the government’s actions were not accidental but part of a larger plan to dismantle aided institutions.

He said the DMK had earlier attempted to convert aided private colleges into private universities – effectively ending government support – until sustained protests by PMK and teachers’ associations forced its withdrawal.

Extending full support to the indefinite hunger strike and protests to be launched from December 12 by various university teachers’ associations, Ramadoss demanded that all pending rights of aided-college teachers be immediately granted.

–IANS

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