The APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) has initiated scrutiny to ascertain qualification of engineering college teachers in the State. The move comes against the backdrop of an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) that found 961 teachers, including nearly 150 in government and aided colleges, lacking requisite qualifications.
The inspection report on the CAG audit of KTU’s accounts for the period 2019-20 had exposed the inadequacy which underscored the need for a regulatory mechanism for appointments and promotions in the technical education sector.
While assessing the data available in the e-governance platform of the university, the statutory auditor found that 961 associate professors, professors, and principals did not have PhD. The eligibility criterion was mandated by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for promotion to such posts in its regulations issued in 2010 and 2019.
Mostly in private colleges
While a majority of such teachers (750) were in private colleges, government and government-aided institutions had 93 and 49 such employees respectively. Such violations were also reported from government self-financing (62) and Union government self-financing (seven) colleges, the report stated.
Four principals, 293 professors and 664 associate professors were found to lack the qualification to continue in the respective posts. The audit observed that their promotions violated government orders, Kerala Technical Education Service, AICTE norms, and judgments issued by the Supreme Court and the Kerala High Court.
Varsity seeks reports
On the basis of the audit, the KTU has directed the erring institutions to furnish reports with supporting documents on such contentious appointments. They have also been ordered to update the qualification details of faculty on the university portal immediately.
Official sources said the data on the portal could be inaccurate, since several institutes do not update details regularly. They also reasoned that such promotions had been effected before the KTU had come into being in 2014.
The consequence
A validation of such irregularities could result in several teachers, especially those in government colleges, being reverted to their original posts and facing a recovery of salary increment received since promotion. With allegations rife that the past governments had relaxed norms to approve such promotions, it remains to seen if the authorities would resort to strong measures in the face of political pressure from teachers’ organisations.
