The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : CAS interviews still face hurdles

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 15, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

CAS interviews still face hurdles

ANDHRA UNIVERSITY teachers are getting impatient, as authorities have not conducted the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) interviews. The last time CAS interviews were held was in February 2001.

Nearly 100 associate professors and an equal number of assistant professors would have been made professors and associate professors had the CAS interviews been held according to the schedule.

The administration raised hopes when it asked teachers to leave their addresses for correspondence during the summer vacation but no move is apparently being taken in the direction of CAS interviews. But a few claim that the bio-data and other details of those seeking professorship have already been sent to external examiners.

The UGC has stipulated that CAS interviews be held every six months and the teachers wonder why the Vice-Chancellor, Y.C. Simhadri, who religiously follows every other UGC rule, is not implementing this one. According to the UGC, an associate professor with eight years' experience is eligible for promotion as a professor and an assistant professor with equal experience can be promoted as associate professor. An associate professor is required to have published five original papers in reputed national or international journals during the last five years while a Ph.D. is the qualification for promotion as an associate professor. Translations or compilations and editing books are not considered qualifications. Some are of the opinion that the administration is not going ahead with the CAS interviews because most of the associate professors lack these requirements. During the last CAS interview this problem was solved by declaring that attending two workshops was equivalent to publishing a paper or book. There were also allegations that papers published in insignificant journals were also accepted while some submitted just manuscripts.

* * *

THOSE DEMANDING Prof. Simhadri's ouster have kept their agitation going. They did not like the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, participating in the function to inaugurate the PG Centre at Tadepalligudem and to lay foundation for the PG Centre's building. Their attempt to meet the CM in a group was thwarted.

Meanwhile, a group consisting of some employees and a representative of the teachers met the Minister for Higher Education to renew their demand to take action against Prof. Simhadri, even as the Government is yet to appoint an IAS officer to probe into the university affairs.

* * *

THE CAMPUS hostels are still not able to provide required comforts to the students. The mess at the Research Scholars Hostel is not functioning because hostel workers did not come back to duty. They want to be under the administrative control of the Registrar and not the Chief Warden. Though accommodation has been increased this year, students are complaining that they have been packed like sardines in some hostels. Some girl students alleged that they are now being denied accommodation in the girls hostel after being allotted accommodation at the time of admission counselling. It seems the rooms have been allotted to other girls after these girls reported late to the hostels.

* * *

UNIVERSITY LIFE has not begun on a pleasant note for freshers as seniors are subjecting them to severe ragging. They are waiting for the seniors to stop this obnoxious practice or Prof. Simhadri to step in with a stringent action.

By G. Narasimha Rao

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CAS interviews still face hurdles