Hopes of contract assistant professors at Osmania University in Hyderabad to have their services regularized have been dashed due to the upcoming Assembly elections. The contract faculty, who have been demanding the regularization of 1340 teaching staff, had hoped that the state government would consider their demand. However, the recruitment of university faculty has been on hold for the past 10 years, leaving the contract lecturers disappointed.
The contract lecturers argued that a common recruitment board would leave them and their families in a difficult situation. They appealed to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao to make a decision similar to the regularisation of contract junior lecturers and degree contract lecturers. They pointed out that regularisation has been done in other state universities such as West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Manipur. If the state government finds it problematic, they suggested regularising their services under a one-time settlement mode based on the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Uma Devi case.
The University Teachers Association Telangana state (UTATS) expressed disappointment over the state government’s inaction in addressing their grievances. They had high hopes after B. Vinod Kumar, Vice-Chairman of Telangana State Planning Board, showed support for enhancing the age limit for teachers in universities. He assured the UTATS that he would bring up their issues with the government authorities for a resolution.
Prof. G. Mallesham, President of UTATS, emphasized the need for greater unity among university associations and urged for uniform implementation of rules across all state universities. He also highlighted the lack of faculty strength and the need to address issues such as CPS for OU faculty and support staff members.
Prof. Ch. Srinivas, General Secretary of UTATS, raised concerns about the decline in the Student-Teacher Ratio and the absence of proper grievance redressal mechanisms in universities. He proposed measures to enhance superannuation, recruitment, and service safeguard for contractual and part-time teachers. He also suggested the establishment of a State Research Board under the TSCHE to strengthen social sciences.
All these issues affecting contract assistant professors and university teaching staff, as well as recruitment, have been put on hold due to the election code coming into force.
