PU senate proposes increase in earned leave of teachers

In what could be a big relief to university teachers, Panjab University senate has proposed to change the regulation of the PU calendar in terms of increasing the number of earned leaves at the credit of a teacher.

Against the existing regulation that says that the earned leave at the credit of a teacher shall not accumulate beyond 180 days, the senate has proposed to increase it to 300 days. Elated at the proposal, teachers on the campus said this decision will be well-deserved and a much-needed amendment in the PU calendar. President of the Panjab University Teachers’ Association Akshaya Kumar said, “It will benefit teachers.”

“Since this proposal will be a revision of a regulation, it will be sent to the university grants commission (UGC) for ratification,” he added.

As per the officials, the above recommendation has been already recommended by the syndicate/senate in their meetings held on September 8, October 6 and December 22 in 2012 and has also been sent to the Centre for approval. Meanwhile, sources said the varsity must have received some kind of notification from the Centre in regard to the same, which is why the senate has brought up the issue now.

The system of encashment of earned leaves up to 300 days was discontinued by the varsity in 2011, following audit objections. However in 2013, the audit had permitted the varsity to allow the teachers to take earned leaves up to 180 days.