Govt. college teachers call for end to contract appointments

Dimapur, Sep. 27 (EMN): Expressing concern over existing discrepancies in the current recruitment system, the All Nagaland Government College Teachers’ Association (ANGCTA) has appealed to the department concerned to stop making contract appointments.

Instead, the association has suggested “a system of adjustment by guest teachers on some fixed honorarium” as an alternative way of tackling any situation arising out of vacancy.

In a statement issued on Friday, the association maintained that the problems faced by contract teachers were of serious concern. “The welfare of the students is the first priority and with the urgency to fill in the vacuum once it is created, there is the immediate requirement to appoint contract teachers by the authority on need basis.

“There is considerable time lag between the vacancy arising in the colleges and post-advertisement and appointment thereafter. For the larger interest of students’ career, we understand that circumstances compel the authority in the department to appoint contract teachers to fill up vacuum classrooms,” read the statement.

It stated that vast majority of the contract teachers were NET qualified and have fulfilled other prerequisite criteria specified by the UGC. “Further, some contract teachers are already over-aged while rendering their best services to the colleges.

“As a matter of fact, we have noted that the newly introduced disciplines in the colleges are mostly manned by contract teachers fulfilling all UGC criteria and they have been rendering commendable selfless effort for years together and we are also aware that many have appeared in the interviews conducted by the department and the best were selected. UGC regulation demands for equal pay for equal work. The contract teachers work under the same pressure and constraints as any other colleague but paid meagrely. We cannot let their plight continue and their services go unrecognised,” it stated.

The association urged the ‘competent authority’ to redress the grave issues.

While stating that it supports direct recruitment through NPSC, the association asserted that it could not, at the same time, ‘exercise restraint and be numb to the discrepancies and anomalies in the department.’

“ANGCTA extends our solidarity and support for the cause of our members who have been serving as contract teachers for the past many years. Justice delayed is justice denied. We seek immediate intervention of the government so as to avoid any misunderstanding and untoward incidences in future,” it stated.