EMN
Dimapur, October 12
The ACAUT Nagaland has alleged that government appointments have bypassed the constitutionally constituted body NPSC which are deemed illegal and the only recourse to settlement is to file Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
As per RTI documents, between the years 2005 and 2015, 39 lecturers and Assistant Professors were regularized at various points of time foregoing the NPSC route of selection through merit, the ACAUT said.
A statement issued by Media Cell, ACAUT Nagaland said, “Departments serving the purpose of education in the state should be free from all encumbrances but in reality, the School Education, SCERT, Technical Education, and Higher Education departments are viewed as prime departments able to absorb thousands of backdoor appointees. As a result, the quality of education being churned out in the state is much debatable.”
The ACAUT pointed out that in the year 2013-14, 7 contract employees in the rank of Assistant Professors were regularized by the Department despite not having cleared National Eligibility Test (NET), which it said is mandatory for recruitment to such post.
Stating that bureaucrats and politicians enjoyed cosy relationship without much fear of accountability, the ACAUT pointed out another appointee to the same post which is not in possession of M.Ed degree, and is clearly disqualifiable.
“According to the Department’s notification dated 24/8/2010, NET certification is compulsory for recruitment. Between the years 2005 and 2015, another 82 were also appointed through NPSC examination. Thus, out of the total 121 appointments between the mentioned years, roughly 32% were backdoor appointees. “ The ACAUT Nagaland said, in the light of backdoor appointment exposes, there were heightened expectations from the student community and society in general for ACAUT to deliver immediate results.
“While the technical aspect of backdoor appointment and its illegality is clear-cut, there are also aspects to backdoor appointments which are complex, with variables such as tribe, range, region, politics, power politics, and sundry, all potential derailing factors,” ACAUT said and added that the issue has to be studied carefully.
