SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Aug 8: It can be said to be an irony of higher education in Jharkhand that the promotion of 750 college teachers of the 2008 batch has been held up for allegations against 58 teachers.
These teachers deserved promotion since 2012 but the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) has been sitting on it in the name of an ongoing CBI probe. In 16 years, the CBI has not been able to complete the probe so far.
Three promotions due since 2012
Teachers of the 2008 batch would have been professors had they been given the 1st promotion due in 2012, 2nd in 2016 and 3rd in 2020.
An office-bearer of the teachers’ association said that it is a million-dollar question why the JPSC is sitting on the file.
He maintained that it was injustice with 750 teachers to hold up their promotion for allegations against 58 teachers.
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Absence of regular vice-chancellors
The absence of a regular vice-chancellor (V-C) in several universities is also said to be the main hurdle in the promotion of 2008 batch teachers.
V-C’s post has been vacant in Vinoba Bhave University (VBU) Hazaribagh, Sido Kanhu Murmu University (SKMU), Dumka, Kolhan University (KU) Chaibasa and others for years.
VBU Teachers Association’s dharna for promotion
A few days ago, the VBU Teachers Association held a dharna to wake up the Chancellor, chief minister, higher education minister and JPSC authority. “We gave a memorandum to V-C (commissioner), registrar, and others for our pending promotion,” said Dr Binod Ranjan, secretary of the VBUTA.
The BBMKU Dhanbad Teachers Association under general secretary Dr Amulya Suman Beck, a few months ago, had met the then chief minister Champai Soren and other officials besides giving a memorandum to the Governor but no positive signal has come. “We are hopeful to get clearance soon,” said Dr Beck.
SKMU Dumka Teachers Association general secretary Dr Santosh Sil said his university had sent a screened list of teachers to the JPSC three months ago and is now waiting for action. KU Chaibasa has also sent the list to the JPSC. General Secretary Dr Indal Paswan said barring two or three faculties, a list of other departments has already been sent.
Notably, the teachers’ bodies have often agitated for their demand for promotion.
In 2012-13, VBU teachers under the then general secretary Dr BN Singh organized a massive agitation and even sat on dharna before Raj Bhawan.
After the creation of Binod Bihari Mahto Kouylanchal University (BBMKU), Dhanbad teachers under general secretary Dr Himanshu Shekhar Choudhary handed over a memorandum to the Governor, chief minister, higher education directors and others several times between 2018 and 2023.
