Contract Assistant Professors Continue Protest Outside the ViceChancellors Office

PATIALA:- Under the leadership of the Punjabi University Contract Teachers’ Association (PUCTA), Contract Assistant Professors have been staging an indefinite protest outside the office of the Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University since August 18, raising their legitimate and rightful demands. These teachers, who have been providing higher education for a long period at the University and its constituent colleges, have launched a protest against the indifferent attitude of the administration.
On the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan, the protesting Contract Assistant Professors expressed their grievance in a unique and emotional manner. On this occasion, the teachers presented a Rakhi to the Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor and appealed to him, as the head and guardian of the University, to fulfill his responsibility of protecting the constitutional rights and future of the Contract Assistant Professors.
The teachers’ leaders stated that Clause 13.0 of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations, 2010 and 2018, clearly provides that where teachers appointed on a contractual basis are selected through a process and possess qualifications equivalent to those prescribed for regular teachers, they are entitled to the same monthly gross salary as a regular Assistant Professor. In addition, the Hon’ble Punjab and Haryana High Court, through its landmark judgment in CWP-21780-2022 O&M, has issued clear directions to the University that contractual teachers be paid regular salary for equal work, along with all arrears with 6% interest, within two months.
Representatives of the Association expressed their resentment and stated that despite the clear directions of the Court and the UGC regulations, the University administration has continuously been delaying their implementation, resulting in deep disappointment and resentment among the teaching community. They categorically warned that unless the University administration issues a formal notification to implement the UGC regulations and the High Court’s orders in letter and spirit, this peaceful protest and struggle will continue day and night indefinitely.