Mumbai University teachers on war path over inept administration
08 Jul 2021
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The University of Mumbai Academic Staff Association (UMASA) is likely to start an open confrontation with, what they say, a mute university administration that has ignored service related issues of the university teachers as also development issues of the university.
UMASA says it has been constantly focusing on service related issues of the university teachers since the last 4-5 years but the university administration has not shown any interest to resolve the issues, so much so that the authorities have refused to even meet the union representatives or discuss serious grievances and issues. This, according to the union, has resulted in several university teachers losing their academic and financial benefits.
Besides these, the present authorities are making a mess in the university administration by doing favouritism in the appointments to various posts and purposely ignoring the seniority of the university teachers.
All key positions are given to college teachers, who are much junior to them, in what the union says, an insult to the university teachers.
The present administration has not even carried out the NAAC assessment over the last 3 years, though all the heads/directors and teachers have submitted the required data to the administration, says the union.
It may be noted that the other universities in te state like Savitribai Phule Pune University, Shivaji University, Kolhapur and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad have all done their NAAC with good scores but Mumbai University, which is the oldest university in the country is lagging behind simply because of the non-performing authorities who are setting wrong precedents by appointing college teachers everywhere. They are under the impression that nobody can do anything to them till they complete their tenure.
The teachers’ union says since the administration is not responding to its rightful demands, there was no other alternative or option to communicate with the authorities thanresort to agitation.
Major demands include: medical group insurance and general insurance cover, timely promotions under CAS and stamping of service books, opening of DCPS/NPS accounts and return of money, investigation of the misuse of RUSA funds, wrong additional charge to single isolated posts, audit of the finance department, stop forcing department heads to conduct online exams, stop reappointments of retired teachers, give representation to university teaches on different authorities, stop humiliation of reserve category teachers, stop relegating the university to school systems, among others.
UMASA has given a call for agitation to protect the rights of university teachers in a democratic way.
As a part of this agitation, USMA on Tuesday displayed agitation banners at Kalina, Fort, Churchgate, Thane and Ratanagiri campuses of the university of Mumbai to draw attention of the university authorities on teachers issues and the demands of the union. More than 50 male and female teachers participated in the protest at the Kalina campus in front of the administrative building.
USMA has threatened to intensify its agitation with a one=day agitation at Kalina Campus on 13 July and a chain protest beginning 20 July till its receives assurance in writing on fulfilling its listed demands from the authorities.
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