A NOTE ABOUT THE PROBLEMS BEING FACED IN COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND

ENGINEERING (CTAE), M.P.U.A.T, UDAIPUR REGARDING GUEST/CONTRACT

TEACHERS
The CTAE has to depend a lot on guest teachers for running its various programs. It would
be pertinent to give some background for the need of hiring so many teachers in the CTAE.
Most of the undergraduate programs were started on self-finance scheme (SFS) mode
based on the existing faculty strength with the assumption that any deficiency in teachers
requirements shall be met out by SFS funds. In recent past, various post graduate programs
have also been started. All these programs (except in Agricultural Engineering and half, i.e.,
10 seats in mining engg.) are on self-finance scheme (SFS) mode wherein the expenditure
is met out from the part of fees. Part of the fee (usually 50%) accrues to the university as
revenue. Entire expenditure for recurring, Non-recurring and salary for guest faculty and
other staff is met out from SFS budget. The state government provides funds only for civil
work as per requirement and salary for permanent faculty wherever sanctioned.
At present CTAE has 7 UG programs, 6 PG programs and 4 PhD programs running on SFS
mode. Many of these programs were started based on the nucleus of existing permanent
faculty strength and the bulk of teaching and non-teaching staff is financed by SFS budget.
Sufficient posts are not sanctioned for all of these programs. For example, B.Tech.
programs in Electronics, IT and MBA programs do not have a single permanent faculty. All
the above mentioned PG and PhD programs were started solely on SFS mode. Increase in
these programs and increased student intake has increased collateral requirement of nonteaching staff also. As a quick fact, there only 30 permanent teachers catering to about
1250 students spread into 30 different classes of these 7 UG, 6 PG and 4 PhD
programs on SFS mode. Furthermore, these teachers have also to teach classes for
other programs which are not on SFS mode. Therefore, the guest faculty (on hourly
basis) and Guest faculty (on contract basis) and few non-teaching persons are
required to be engaged out of SFS budget.
The guest faculty, so far, were being engaged on contract basis which was renewed every
semester by following a meticulous procedure prescribed by the University. Other nonteaching persons were being engaged through service provider agency. For few of the nonteaching posts retired persons were being engaged following the government procedure.
The university has been directed to implement the GOR circular Pa. 1(4) Vitta/ Niyam/2011
dt 7 June 2011 which stipulates that the guest teachers must be hired on job basis through
service provider. Similar directions have been conveyed in the recent BFC meeting to the
university, which stipulate that the guest faculty and other persons on contract through SPA,
or retired persons should be engaged only against clear and sanctioned posts and that too
with prior permission of FD. Further, a recent directive from the government stipulates that
only retired teachers and teachers from other institutes should be engaged.
These recent directives referred above have put the college in a very difficult situation. The
result of these directives is that the college is not able to engage any guest/contract teachers
and non-teaching staff, which is also required for proper functioning of the programs.
These, and some more points, are summarised as follows:

1. No retired teachers in engineering are available to take up the teaching assignments.

A recent advertisement in newspapers in response to the government directives
has evoked NIL response. Further, how it is possible for any other institute to permit
its permanent faculty to take classes elsewhere?
2. These programs are almost entirely on SFS mode. Hiring of contractual faculty is
necessitated due to large no. of vacant posts or due to a total absence of sanctioned
posts. Whether the above referred government directive also apply to academic
programs on SFS mode is a moot question.
3. Service providers exist only for supply of unskilled labour or at most for jobs like
computer operator, etc. There are no service providers who can supply manpower with
the qualifications (B.Tech. and M.Tech.) required for teaching purposes.
4. Besides, the teachers have to be selected based upon the number of unallocated
courses, the qualifications and experience of teachers, the subjects which they can
teach well, etc. For this some sort of personal interaction or interview is required.
5. For getting approval from AICTE, the name and other details of teachers in
various disciplines has to be provided to the AICTE. For approval and
accreditation purposes the AICTE may count contract faculty toward faculty
strength but not the faculty engaged through service provider (or even on per
hour basis). As a result most of the programmes may not get AICTE approval
from next year. Getting AICTE (NBA) accreditation will be next to impossible.
6. The college is executing a prestigious project TEQIP phase-II funded by the MHRD.
One of the deliverables mentioned in the project implementation plan (PIP) and the
Institute Development Plan (IDP) submitted for the project demands that the college
will fill up all vacant posts and till such time that these vacancies are filledup on a
regular basis, the appointments on 11 month or longer contract needs to permitted by
the States/UTs. The university has signed an MOU with the state government in this
regard to implement the PIP and IDP. Therefore, engaging the teachers through
service provider or on per hour basis will go against the MOU and endanger the TEQIP
project.
7. Most of the departments have PG programs. It wont be possible to get the
accreditation for PG teaching for the faculty engaged through service provider or on
hourly basis. Many of the PG programs will face serious threat.
8. More importantly, the very act of hiring faculty on job basis through service
provider will put a very bad impression about the quality of teaching at the
college. It will definitely have a very negative impact on the quality and ranking.
9. The private engineering colleges hire faculty members with a designation (that is
respect) and with pay which is substantially higher than what can be offered to them by
way of service provider (assuming some service provider may venture into that area)
or on hourly basis. Moreover, the hourly basis does not provide them a job satisfaction
with the consequence that we will most certainly not be able to find requisite number of
teachers on hourly basis.
10. The teachers on per-lecture basis will come for just engaging the classes and go after
the class. It will be very difficult to monitor the performance, course coverage, etc.
Besides classes there are a number of academic activities which are normally done
during the course of any semester like student counselling, seminars, field visits,
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invigilation, providing information, preparing More importantly, the guest faculties on

contract basis are required to stay in the department for full time and help the
department in other academic and development activities of the department besides
teaching. They are assigned invigilation and other duties also. Thus, relying entirely in
teachers on per hour basis will seriously hamper the working of the college.
11. The guest teachers on hourly basis will have to be paid also for invigilation duties,
taking practical examinations, invigilation duties, etc. Detailed calculations show that
the system of hiring persons on per hour basis will increase the financial burden on the
departments (which are entirely funded through SFS budget) that they may find difficult
to bear. Further, it will leave very little funds for equipment and contingency, thus
hampering the development of the departments.
12. There are times when there are no classes for various reasons like functions,
seminars, examinations, etc. If the teachers are to be paid for actual classes held, then
the amount will be so meagre that certainly nobody will be willing to take the
assignment.
13. The college has, in recent years, earned a remarkable reputation. Recently, it has
been adjudged Best Engineering College in the whole of the Northern Region by
the National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research, Chandigarh.
To maintain the quality and reputation, it is necessary to have best possible
teachers. The system of hiring teachers on hourly basis or through service
provider does not distinguish between teachers with lower merit and higher
merit/qualifications.
Thus, relying entirely on engaging teachers through service provider/hourly basis will
seriously hamper the working of the college to the extent that many programs may face
disapproval from AICTE and eventual closure.
It is earnestly requested to take the matter with the highest level, if required at the
government level to permit the system of contractual teachers. Some better contract terms
may be developed to ward off allay the concerns of the university/government arising out of
the contract teachers.