Teachers across Central Universities wear Black Badges on this Teachers Day; Demand Secured Pension Scheme
Thousands of teachers in universities and colleges across the country wore black bands/badges today at the call of Federation of Central Universities' Teachers' Association (FEDCUTA) to protest against the draconian New Pension Scheme. Several teachers' associations like the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA), Jamia Teachers' Association (JTA), Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association (JNUTA), Assam University Teachers' Association (AUTA) and the Aligarh Muslim University Teachers' Association (AMUTA) showed unanimous support and solidarity to the FEDCUTA call.
Ever since its inception in 2004, people throughout the country have been very critical of the New Pension Scheme. Within our teaching community too, year after year, different teachers' associations like the FEDCUTA and the DUTA have staged protests and submitted memorandums to the MHRD of the day against the negative implications of the NPS. While all government employees including teachers who got permanent employment before 1.1.2004 are assured of a definitive pension, the discriminatory NPS leaves those who got jobs on or after 1.1.2004 in complete lurch. Not only have the NPS subscribers been undemocratically subjected to the vicissitudes of the share market, they are also only able to withdraw 60% of the contribution at the time of retirement. The rest 40% has to be mandatorily used to purchase annuities from approved life insurers. The situation is even worse for those who have/want to retire before 60 years of age. Such employees will be able to withdraw only 20% of their contribution and have to necessarily use the rest 80% to buy annuities. Further, for all types of employees, 60% of the withdrawal amount will be taxable at the time of retirement. It is high time that the MHRD listens to the will of the people and recommend to the government to revert to the old pension scheme for its post-1.1.2004 employees.
While we appreciate the fact that the MHRD took cognisance of the FEDCUTA-AIFUCTO-DUTA feedback regarding some of the long-standing demands of teachers during the framing of the UGC 2018 regulations, it is important to note that the regulations still have several negative recommendations that are proving to be detrimental for the overall career progression of teachers. For example,
for pending cases of promotions, the second option as stipulated by the Regulations requires minimum API scores only from research which makes the relief non-existent. Further, on the one hand, Ph.D. has been made compulsory for promotion to Associate Professors in colleges and to Assistant Professors (Selection-Grade) in university departments, on the other, period of study leave for doing Ph.D. is not counted for promotions. Then, parity of librarians and academic staff like instructors and programmers with teachers is yet not achieved.
The pension revision, as notified by the MHRD on 11th of June, 2018 remains incomplete as it did not have the correct concordance table according to the revised pay matrix of the 7th CPC. This oversight has serious adverse impact on the pension-fixation of those teachers who retired before 1.1.2016. The allowances under 7th CPC have not been declared yet. The government is yet to reinstate the 200-point roster through an ordinance failing which the country will witness a massive reduction in the teaching posts of SC, ST and OBC across universities and colleges.
There have been several cases of misgovernance in universities like the Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Manipur, Imphal and Mahatma Gandhi Central University that have shocked teaching and student communities. The FEDCUTA condemns the murderous attack on Professor Sanjay Kumar, Assistant Professor in Sociology in MGCU and demands an immediate setting up of a Visitorial Enquiry against the Vice Chancellor of MGCU.
The FEDCUTA appeals to the MHRD to scrap the NPS and restore the old Pension scheme for all. The MHRD must also proactively pursue the above-mentioned issues which would give relief to so many of our teachers, both past and present. The FEDCUTA promises to further increase its agitation till all demands of teachers are met.
Rajib Ray Sonajharia Minz
(President FEDCUTA) (Secretary FEDCUTA)
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