Axe on college teacher for 'irregularity'

Calcutta: A city college has revoked the appointment of a teacher who had worked at the institution as a whole-timer for 17 years after an inquiry committee concluded that he was not eligible for the post.

The teacher has not passed the National Eligibility Test (NET) or the State Level Eligibility Test (SET) and only got his PhD degree in 2004, four years after he was appointed lecturer.

Passing NET/SET was a must to become eligible for the post of college lecturer in 2000, as it is now.

In the early 1990s, the state college service commission had announced a relaxation to enable those who had worked as a whole-time teacher at a state-aided college for at least five years but had not passed NET/SET to apply afresh for a lecturer's job if they wanted to shift to another college.

"The investigation conducted by the college revealed that the teacher had not fulfilled this condition either," the principal of the college said.

The teacher refused to talk to Metro on the ground that he had challenged the decision of the college in court.

Officials of the college said the "irregularities" in the appointment of the teacher had come to light when the authorities were examining his service records to promote him to the post of associate professor.

A committee was then set up to investigate the alleged irregularities.

"After several rounds of investigations, the committee came to the conclusion that the teacher did not fulfil the criteria for the job," the principal said.

"We have thoroughly examined the records. The then governing body of the college had appointed the teacher in 2000 on the basis of a recommendation of the college service commission. The current governing body has unanimously decided to reject the recommendation.... The probe has revealed that the teacher had misused the relaxation and suppressed facts."

The teacher had applied for the post of lecturer in response to an advertisement published by the college service commission in August 1997.

He had taught at a polytechnic institute on an ad hoc basis for nearly three years and nine months between 1994 and 1997.

He had also worked as a whole-time teacher at a state-aided Christian missionary college in Calcutta from January 1998 till the end of 1999.

By 1998, it had become compulsory for aspiring college teachers to pass NET/ SET but the missionary colleges were given the freedom to frame their own recruitment policies.

"His tenure at the polytechnic institute and the missionary college does not make him eligible to enjoy the benefit of the relaxation," the principal said.

"His job at the polytechnic institute was on an ad hoc basis, whereas the relaxation applies to those who have worked as a whole-timer. At the missionary institute, his tenure was less than the stipulated five years."

A copy of the resolution of the governing body rejecting the recommendation of the college service commission and a copy of the inquiry committee have been sent to the commission, Calcutta University, higher education department and the UGC.