Regular assistant professor being paid less than contractual teachers

Don’t be surprised if you come across the fact that a regular assistant professor in a grant-in-aid college in Chandigarh gets ₹21,000 per month, while a contractual teacher at a government college takes away a salary of more than ₹50,000.

The fact, as confirmed by Panjab University vice-chancellor Prof Arun Kumar Grover, will be taken up by him with the UT administration and the Punjab government.

The disparity is the result of a 1992 notification where Chandigarh employees were to draw salary as per the Punjab government pattern. Since then, Chandigarh has been following the rules laid by the Punjab government.

This issue, however, was raised at a recent meeting of the State Higher Education Council, where the principals highlighted the gap in salaries. These regular appointees are being appointed for a three-year service term, for which they are paid ₹21,000 per month, whereas the contractual teachers get over ₹50,000.

All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO) vice-president Jagwant Singh said, “There was a little amendment in the Punjab Service Rules in 2015 and it was stated that the person who will be appointed on probation of two years — which was later extended to three years — during the period will receive a minimum of the pay band, which is less than the basic salary. An assistant professor of a college has a pay band between ₹15,600- 31,100 and grade pay is ₹6,000. Salary paid to these assistant professors ₹21,600 (15,600+6,000). There are around 100 such teachers who assumed charge after 2015 and are surviving on a comparatively paltry sum.”

He added, “In case of contractual teachers, Punjab Service Rules are not applied, thus they get more than ₹50,000. As per the current financial status of Punjab government, it is happy with the decision of Parkash Singh Badal’s government of giving minimum of the pay band to assistant professors. The authorities should realise that the talented people are moving out of Chandigarh and Punjab, because the salaries are not worth.”

‘Quality being compromised’

Meanwhile, director higher education and Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) state project directorate Rubinderjit Singh Brar said, “The quality of education is compromised due to such kind of salary structure. We will take up this issue with finance development officer, who would further take up the issue with the government.”

RUSA assistant state project directorate (ASPD) Dalip Kumar said, “This is a problem in the grant-in-aid colleges and the authorities should do something about it. The salary drawn by these teachers are against their academic qualifications. These teachers have attained PhD degrees and giving them 21,000 does not make sense. UT service conditions, which are same as the Punjab government rules, need amendment.”

PGGC-11 principal BP Yadav, who was also present in the meeting, said, “The poor salary structures of our teachers is the only reason that 40% of the posts are lying vacant in colleges.”

He added, “We talk about good teachers but where do we get them from? The teachers who are in the merit refuse to join the local colleges as they get good offers from Haryana colleges. Why would any teacher come to our college at a lesser salary than what he/she is being offered in other colleges. We all had requested the PU vice-chancellor to request the administration to change certain unfair rules.”

SD College, Sector 32, principal Bhushan K Sharma said, “We are a grant-in-aid institute, which is among the best, and the teachers should be paid full grade salary.”