Varsity’s proposal to increase working days raises eyebrows

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 23

A proposal of the University of Jammu (JU) to increase working days of the institution from existing five to six days a week has raised several eyebrows, with faculty members expressing their reservations over the move.

At present, the university offices and classrooms work for five days a week while it remains closed on Saturday and Sunday.

The proposal has been mooted by incumbent Vice-Chancellor Prof Manoj K Dhar who has even sought a feedback from research scholars, faculty members and Deans so that the university remains functional for six days a week instead of five days.

“Earlier this week, the Vice-Chancellor has held back-to back-three meetings with research scholars and Deans of sciences and social sciences over the issue to know their opinion. The Deans have been asked to discuss the issue with their respective faculty members and submit their report to the university administration for further action,” official sources told The Tribune.

“Given the prevailing circumstances, a professor or associate professor focuses on his or her research work on Saturday and he or she avails leave only on Sunday. On the rest of the week, the teachers remain busy in classrooms and other administrative works. The proposal will further burden the faculty members,” a senior professor of the university said.

The professor said the proposal was still in “discussion stage” and they would respond only as and when something in writing will come to them.

Dr KS Charak, president, Jammu University Teachers Association (JUTA), claimed that the proposal was still in infancy stage and the Vice-Chancellor just held discussions on it.

“As Jammu and Kashmir has been granted Union Territory (UT) status, the procedures and rules will change accordingly after October 31. In such circumstances, there will be no need of any such proposal as all departments will work under set norms of UT,” Dr Charak said.

Professor Jasbir Singh, Dean of Social Sciences, JU, admitted that the Vice-Chancellor held discussions with them over the proposal and he would soon hold a meeting with his faculty members to bring a consensus on it.

“The proposal has been mooted in good sense. In the current situation, we have already lost many days to unavoidable circumstances and the loss of even 10 days under the choice-based credit system can disturb the academic session,” the Dean said.

Faculty expresses reservations 

• The University of Jammu (JU) has proposed to increase working days of the institution from existing five to six days a week 
• Faculty members have expressed their reservations over the move.
• The proposal has been mooted by incumbent Vice-Chancellor Prof Manoj K Dhar who has even sought a feedback from research scholars, faculty members and Deans so that the university remains functional for six days a week instead of five days.