I confess, it is difficult to retain the will to keep communicating in a scenario where most of the opposition (active and passive, the latter being more annoying) are in the habit of essentially resisting any logical, sensible engagement. Still, old habit. Communication. সব জায়গাতেই কানার হাটবাজার বসছে। Professor Sukanta Chaudhuri speaks on the recent changes regarding recruitment at Jadavpur University, one of those things that creep in silently and yet harm the education system incredibly in the long run. একবার তুলে ধরাটা প্রয়োজন মনে করলাম, বর্তমান ছাত্র হিসেবে, পরবর্তীকালে গবেষণা নিয়ে থাকতে চাই এমন একজন সাধারণ মানুষ হিসেবে। (My Attendance My Choice নিয়ে যাদের ঘোর আপত্তি, প্রেসিডেন্সির বন্ধুদের রোজ সকালে একবার করে গালি না দিলে যে পা-চাটা দালালগুলোর পেটের ঘাসফুল হজম হচ্ছে না, এদিকে তো তারা কোনো কথা তুলছেন না? Hypocrisy টাও কি সুদীপ্র সেন কিনে দিয়েছিলেন রথের মেলা থেকে?) This is a shocking development, for the following reasons besides, no doubt, many others: 1. Most importantly, it is a blatant attempt to bypass the normal recruitment process. It is specially curious that such interviews should be conducted in large well-established departments like Physics, Chemistry and Sanskrit, where there are vacancies advertised in the regular way and (in all probability, as in most other departments) piles of applications gathering dust for years. Why are these applications not being processed and interviews held, in these and other departments? The new system will allow the authorities to appoint people of their choice by this short-cut process, bypassing UGC regulations and the act/regulations of the university itself. Once introduced, it can be extended to all recruitment in the university. 2. Which body has sanctioned this method of recruitment? Has it even been passed in the EC, little as that counts for at present? For posts in the teaching departments, have the BOS and Faculty Council approved even the posts, let alone this method of recruiting them? Who has approved the appointment of such guest faculty in the Schools? 3. Who will constitute the selection committee? How will the external experts be appointed? It seems the committees for the various subjects will have members in common, as their timings are staggered. But the slot for each subject is a couple of hours! Unless the number of applicants is artificially restricted (see point 5 below), it is impossible to complete the interviews within this time, or to carry out any proper assessment. 4. There is no NET requirement, even in subjects where NET exists. Presumably API will not apply either -- all else apart, API calculations cannot be made during a walk-in interview. The criteria for selection are vague or non-existent. The application form has no separate spaces for publications, projects, conference papers etc. No doubt these can be entered under Additional Information, but that shows the meagre attention being paid to such matters. I also note that the form has a slot for Caste, not just asking whether the candidate belongs to SC/ST/OBC etc. In any case, I presume there will be no reservation in such ad hoc posts, so why this question? 5. Are these interviews being publicly advertised in the press, or only circulated internally and through the website? The website hardly counts as a public outlet in this case, as no-one would dream of looking for an announcement of such a weird scheme unless tipped off in advance. 6. How will these posts be funded? The 14 posts advertised will cost nearly Rs.60 lakhs per annum. Even if such appointments in teaching departments are adjusted against regular vacancies in sanctioned posts, that cannot apply to the Schools, where there are no such posts. Is the University going to meet this large sum from its general funds? 7. In the Schools, a single lecturer appointed on this basis cannot replace the range of interdisciplinary expertise afforded by the many guest lecturers hitherto invited for individual lectures or short courses, each in his/her special field. It is a totally unacademic arrangement. It will also add substantially to the cost, compared to the honorarium paid to guest lecturers. 8. In the School of Languages, the required qualifications are M.Phil. (why not MA?) in English/Comp.Lit/Linguistics/Cognitive Science, but not Bengali or any other Indian (or Western, or any other) language. 9. How will such a teachers performance be evaluated if his/her appointment is continued or renewed? We seem to be entering a state of total ad hocism in the administration of the university. Another recent example (about which there has been sadly little protest or even awareness so far) is the shocking set of amended regulations governing the Schools, passed at the EC meeting on 16 Sept 2014. That was a blatant example of the assault on research. The present notification extends the assault to teaching. -Professor Chaudhuri
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 05:12:26 +0000
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