Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, May 6

Describing teaching in colleges as a 'responsible job', the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the State of Haryana to take steps for relieving persons not possessing minimum UGC qualifications.

The State has also been asked to "positively" initiate steps for advertising regular posts. For initiating the selection process and issuance of advertisement, the high court has also set a six-month deadline.

The directions came as the Bench of Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Sudeepti Sharma asserted: "If persons do not possess minimum qualification laid down by the UGC ndash; NET/PhD, one can only imagine the plight of the students who are being taught by such unqualified persons".

The Bench ruled that candidates appointed under the earlier policies by the colleges, yet failing to acquire the minimum qualifications up till now, could not be allowed to continue and the court would not sympathize on this aspect.

But candidates acquiring the qualifications were required to be protected till regular selections were made. As such, all candidates, working and eligible, would be free to apply and age relaxation benefit would also be given to them.

The directions came on a bunch of 15 appeals against the State of Haryana and other respondents. The Bench, during the course of hearing, was told that more than 2300 posts were lying vacant.

The appellants, experienced lecturers, did not possess NET/PhD. But they had been working for years together and ought to be allowed to continue till the regular selections were made.

The Bench asserted it had given "thoughtful consideration" to the submissions by the counsel for the parties and found that the UGC guidelines in 2010 itself mandated the appointment of assistant professors and lecturers in colleges with a minimum qualification of NET/PhD.

But the state government issued advertisements and appointed persons, who did not possess the minimum qualifications laid down by the UGC. Regular selections had not been made. As such, the posts were being filled from the unqualified persons.

"We do not accede to the request made by counsel for the appellants that those who do not possess the minimum UGC qualifications should be allowed to be continued till the regular selections are made," the Bench asserted.