Guwahati, May 1: If you are seeking a job as a college teacher you must have a PhD or MPhil degree from a university that is regularly assessed by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), the Assam government has said. It has also banned college teachers from teaching in private coaching institutes.
These decisions were announced by state education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at a review meeting with the principals of government and provincialised colleges at Cotton College here today.
Reports have emerged that many college teachers have got or are pursuing PhD and MPhil degrees from some "mysterious" colleges or from distance learning institutes.
"We have decided not to accept the PhD or MPhil degrees if they are taken from universities that have not been assessed by NAAC in three years from the year that a candidate got his degree," Sarma said.
"Forget about other universities, we will not even accept degrees given by Gauhati University or Dibrugarh University or Cotton College State University if they do not fulfil this criteria," Sarma said.
He said PhD or MPhil degrees from distance learning institutes would also not be accepted. "They must be full-time degrees," he said.
College principals from around 300 colleges of the state participated in today's meeting, which reviewed the schemes the state government has undertaken for colleges for the 2017-2018 financial year.
Sarma said no college teachers will be allowed to teach in private coaching institutes. However, the government has not banned teachers from teaching students at home.
The minister asked the colleges to wrap up all college cultural functions by 7pm. "Sports week or college weeks must be over by 7pm. If the students do not obey, invite the police. If something untoward happens after 7pm, we will make you (principals) responsible for it," he said. Recently, students of Cotton College were involved in a clash on the college campus around midnight during a cultural function.
The state government sanctioned Rs 1 crore each to 33 colleges for their infrastructure development. The colleges have so far received Rs 50 lakh as the first instalment. The government will also release Rs 1 crore each to 45 more colleges this year.
Sarma reprimanded the college principals for not taking the village adoption programmes seriously. "We will link up the Rs 1-crore grant with the village adoption programme. If a college fails to adopt at least one village, that college will not be given the grant," he said.
Sarma said a college will be given Rs 5 lakh annually to spend in the village adoption programme. Through this programme a college will have to adopt at least one village and work for the academic and social development of the villagers.
Sarma said increment and promotion of college teachers will also be linked with his/her social service activities.
The state government will also hold a Gunotsav-like exercise to evaluate the colleges in December this year.
Five colleges - MB College, Dhubri, Saraighat College, Guwahati, Nalbari Commerce College, Majuli College and NC College, Karimganj - were given Rs 20 lakh each to open various vocational courses.
The principal secretary of higher education, Ajay Tiwari, said Assam's gross enrolment ratio in colleges among youths between 18 and 23 years is only 15.4 per cent against a national ratio of 24.5 per cent. He said the low gross enrolment ratio is a matter of concern and the state government needs to increase it to at least 25 per cent.
