UGC superannuation norms flouted

BANGALORE: The Forum of Senior Teachers (UGC) in Karnataka has expressed regrets that over 250 teachers working in higher education colleges were wrongfully relieved by issuing a circular that violated orders from   the court.Speaking to reporters here, Dr. Hallesh, former president of the Federation of University and College Teachers Associations in Karnataka (FUCTAK), said that a group of teachers had approached the government several times to enhance the age superannuation to 65 as per the UGC regulations and further not to discriminate the age of superannuation from constituent college teachers, who retire at 62.“The efforts of the teachers went in vain. We approached the High Court. The verdicts of single benches at Bangalore, Dharwad and Gulbarga and the Gulbarga Division directed the State Government to implement the age of superannuation to 65 years. However, the Bangalore Division bench set aside the single bench verdicts on November 9, but allowed the teachers to continue till November 30,” he said.Dr Hallesh added that the Principal Secretary of Higher Education Department, in a circular, dated November 22, instructed all colleges to relieve all the teachers from service. Taking into account this behaviour of the government, the division bench on November 23 nullified the circular. “Disobeying the court order, the government kept its circular, relieving the teachers by force,” he said.He demanded the government to realise its mistake and withdraw its circular. “It is surprising that the government, which did not find time to implement the MHRD instruction to enhance the retirement age issued a circular to relieve us within no time,” he said.