IMPHAL, December 1: As part of its ongoing protest on various demands, the All Manipur College Teachers`™ Association, AMCTA has threatened to boycott the semester exams of BA/BSc which will begin from December 4.
Under its initiative, sit-in protests were staged at different colleges today.
The higher education in Manipur today is in a decaying state. In spite of our repeated representations to the government to strictly follow the guidelines of University Grants Commission in connection with recruitment of teachers, Career Advancement Schemes, CAS and other service conditions the government is doing nothing, said Dr. MT Achou spokesperson of the AMCTA.
Talking to IFP, Dr MT Achou, stated the above statement on the sidelines of the protest demonstration carried out as part of the State wide protest at Oriental College Imphal.
`We are extremely worried of the future of higher education in the State. If the authority concerned continues to turn a blind eye to the impending crisis, the future of higher education is dark and will be beyond redemption if there is no positive intervention`, he lamented.
It may be mentioned that AMCTA had already launched protest from November 26 by wearing black badge during work. Half day `chalk down strike`™ had also started from November 28. Today`™s sit-in demonstration was a continuation of the protest by the teachers`™ association.
According to a protest note handed out to the media, its chief demands are; Immediate release of a fresh Notification/Office Memorandum considering local conditions in respect of recruitment, CAS and other service matters; cancellation of government orders No. 7(2)/6/2003-HE dated 14/11/2014 and appointment of regular principals to all the government colleges of Manipur; removal of existing Commissioner (H/E), P Vaiphei from Higher Education Department and immediate release of pending due allowances i.e SCA, TA etc entitled to college teachers and equivalent cadres by making correction of ROP orders dated 12/08/2011 as top priority.
It said the teachers have been getting UGC pay under Revision of Pay Scales since 2011. In the said the government order of issuing the salary to the teachers, CAS and RR on teachers`™ recruitment and other service matters, however, are not clearly mention regarding the effective date of implementing the UGC guidelines.
It claimed that the recent appointment of three college Principals by the State government was done in a hasty manner, in spite of the earlier demand of AMCTA to appoint regular Principals in all 28 government colleges at one time basis. Moreover, the essential qualifications of the three appointed Principals do not fulfil the criteria, it added.
Further, it continued that P Vaiphei, the incumbent Commissioner of Higher Education Department, government of Manipur should be removed from his current post because of his bureaucratic arrogance. It has charged the Commissioner of being high-handed and on many occasions he had mistreated the teaching community, which is unbecoming of a responsible administrative officer.