Guwahati, June 3: A group of college teachers has come up with a guidebook about the rules and regulations governing the state’s higher education sector to ensure that college teachers are equipped to tackle unscrupulous officials when the need arises.

The 472-page tome, authored by Khireswar Bora of Arya Vidyapeeth College here with assistance from six other senior college teachers — Sarat Chandra Kakati, Anil Chandra Das, Shahjahan Ahmed, Bedabrat Saikia, Pradip Mahanta and Charu Das — was released here this afternoon by former Gauhati University vice-chancellor N.K. Choudhary.

The book contains UGC rules and regulations as well as Assam government office memoranda and orders since 1991 related to the sector to help update teachers about the developments taking place in the sector, so that they do not have to run from pillar to post to get their jobs done.

These rules and regulations deal with issues like appointment, payscales, promotions, qualifications and duties and responsibilities and are aimed at guiding college teachers who often get misled by unscrupulous education department officials owing to their lack of awareness.

Saikia, one of the teachers who assisted Bora, said the book would go a long way in enlightening both teachers and officials.

Some of the rules issued by Dispur run contrary to the ones issued by the UGC, adversely impacting the career of college teachers, he added.

He, however, admitted that they had included rules and regulations they had came across. “Those left out will be included in the next edition which will be brought out by the year-end. The book will serve as ready reference to all those associated with the sector,” he said, indicating that the book was in progress.

Education department sources admitted that there were serious issues related to appointment and promotion of college teachers, something they were trying to resolve.

They attributed these to inconsistency in government rules, which change according to the whims and fancies of the powers-that-be. “Some are deprived despite having UGC norms, some get deprived after rules are changed after they are appointed. The only way to resolve these issues is to streamline things for those already in service so that they can teach without any grievances,” one of them said.

The book will be presented to the new education minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and senior officials of the department so that they can initiate corrective measures to benefit the sector. Sarma has warned errant officials, after a surprise check, to mend their ways or face the consequences.