Specially abled staff: PU panel to discuss increase in retirement age

Bhartesh Singh Thakur
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 17

The Regulations Committee of Panjab University (PU) is all set to discuss enhancement in the retirement age of physically challenged teachers from 60 to 62.

The committee will meet on October 23 to discuss the amendment in Regulation 17.3 under Chapter ‘Conditions of Service of University Employees’ in the PU Calendar Volume I.

Earlier, the Board of Finance had recommended it in its meeting held on November 28, 2017. But during the last meeting of the committee on April 20, it was not allowed.

The committee had said it was clear in the Punjab Government letter, dated May 22, 2017, that extension wouldn’t be allowed if the retirement age was already 60 years. “The instructions (from Punjab Government) in no way can be interpreted as the retirement age of the handicapped category can be increased up to 62 years,” the committee had opined.

After that, the file was sent to the DR (Establishment) which forwarded it to the Vice-Chancellor. Former VC Prof Arun Kumar Grover, on July 20, ordered that “not permissible to extend to 62 years”.

The Regulations Committee will also discuss the change in the nomenclature of Masters in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems to Masters in Geoinformatics from 2018-2020 onwards. The changes in regulations for Masters in Disaster Management are also on the agenda as some specialisations are introduced.

Earlier, there was no provision for re-evaluation in MSc (System Biology and Bioinformatics). But now, the Regulation Committee would consider the proposal for re-evaluation if the students are not satisfied. An independent panel of two examiners with prior permission of the Dean of University Instructions or Vice-Chancellor will be appointed. The average marks given by two evaluators and the teacher concerned will be counted in the final marks.

Also, for MPhil in Public Administration, the candidate with 55 per cent marks in Human Rights and Duties, Police Administration, Social Work, Women Studies and Development, Economics, Defence and National Security Studies, Geography, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Social Science and Journalism and Mass Communication will be allowed, but a weightage of 5 per cent will be given to those who have MA in Public Administration.