Govt serves show-cause notice to Baramulla college principal over teaching assignment fiasco

The principal had issued issued a circular where in the non-subject specific faculty was assigned the duty of "engaging classes of the departments without staff."

by Syed Rizwan Geelani

Srinagar, March 22: The J&K Higher Education Department (HED) has served a show-cause notice to Principal Women's Degree College, Baramulla and sought an explanation over recent teaching assignment fiasco.

The show cause notice has been served to the Principal days after Greater Kashmir reported that the Principal Women's College Baramulla issued a circular where in the non-subject specific faculty was assigned the duty of "engaging classes of the departments without staff."

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Meanwhile, the HED in its show cause notice served to the principal has stated that it came to the notice of the Department through print media, that a circular No GDCW/8/2023/ 3011 dated March 8 of 2023 was issued wherein non specialized faculty was assigned the duty of engaging classes of the Departments without staff.

"Faculty of Education and Physical Education was assigned the duty to engage classes of Political Science, Faculty of Chemistry was assigned the duty to take classes of Public Administration, Faculty of Mathematics was assigned the class work of Philosophy and similarly different faculty was assigned the class work of faculty other than their own specialization," the notice read.

It read that the department has engaged academic arrangement candidates based on requirement furnished by Principal concerned through Director Colleges J&K against sanctioned vacant posts of particular subject.

"But the circular circulated in the Print media has attracted serious criticism and has also maligned the image of the department and such kind of act by a Government servant is unbecoming under Section 3 of the J&K Govt. Employees (Conduct) rules 1971 and is treated as a serious negligence and dereliction of duties on the part of a Government Officer," it said.

Also, the Principal Secretary HED recently chaired a meeting wherein it was deliberated and discussed upon that Academic Arrangement candidates will soon be engaged as per the requirement of specific colleges.

"During the meeting you were advised by the chair to clarify the order - circular issued by you which did not adhere to the assignment of subject specific teaching as envisaged by the regulations of UGC and appointments by Public Service Commission against subject specializations. However despite lapse of considerable time, necessary clarification has not been issued by your office and the Administrative Department has not been intimated about the action taken in the matter so far," the notice read.

The HED has stated that it has also come to the notice of the department that the circular in question was issued without seeking prior approval of the competent authority.

"In view of above, I am accordingly directed to serve you this show cause notice to explain your position within seven days as to why action should not be initiated against you as warranted under J&K CSR and J&K Classification Control and Appeal rules," the notice said. Greater Kashmir