The West Bengal Higher Education Council on Monday urged the heads of the state-aided universities to immediately start the process of amending their respective acts to re-designate the teaching posts as recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission.

The commission, which recently announced higher pay for college and university teachers, re-designated lecturers as assistant professors and readers as associate professors.

The amendments to the university acts must be passed in the Assembly for the pay commission’s recommendations to be implemented, said a source.

At a meeting with the vice-chancellors of the universities, the council on Monday set up a three-member committee to examine how the amendments can be passed in the next Assembly session.

The council also discussed the setting up of model degree colleges in various districts as recommended by the University Grants Commission.

The universities were asked to identify suitable locations for setting up such colleges. Sixteen colleges are likely to be set up across Bengal in the first phase.

Problems faced by candidates seeking teaching posts in colleges and universities because of the restructuring of the National Eligibility Test and State Level Eligibility Test were also discussed.