Srinagar, Jul 19 (KNS): Employees and faculty in the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar are up in arms against the ministry of Human Resource Development for interfering in Board of Governors (BOG) of the institute in the appointment of eligible Registrar and Director for the only national engineering institute in the state.
The employees have written a protest letter to the HRD ministry for “unnecessary intervention” in BOG, aimed at creating confusion and chaos in the governance and administration of the institute.
The NIT is administered by an Incharge Registrar and Director from many years which the employees and students said are negatively impacting the academic and administrative functioning of the institute.
The present incharge Registrar is holding the charge from the last 6 years when the regular term of the Registrar is five years only, sources in the NIT told KNS. The Incharge Director is holding the post from October last year.
Last month, the BOG held a meeting to appoint the regular Registrar and decision was taken to replace the present incharge Registrar by a majority vote as per the Statutes of NIT.
The BOG comprises of Chairman of NIT, Director, two nominees from MHRD and two from the Institute.
However, the Director NITs of MHRD shot a letter to the Chairman and Incharge Director NIT to appoint the Registrar as per the procedure.
The letter has sent resentment and anger among the employees of the institute, with the Non-Teaching Employees Association writing a protest letter to the MHRD.
“The letter on selection of Registrar from the Ministry is in violation of the statues and the NIT Act which is constitutional document passed by the Parliament. It is unwarranted interference and infringement in the autonomous character of the institute as BOG is the final decision taking body,” the letter of the employees mentions.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel(A copy of the letter is with KNS.)
The employees said that the ministry cannot undo the decisions of BOG and as the rules the Incharge Director cannot make permanent recruitments as he is himself holding temporary charge.
“The Incharge Director has been defying the orders of the BOG and the Chairman and under the circumstance the fair appointment of the Registrar is not only being compromised but will be against the Statutes,” the letter says.
“The ministry has created chaos in the institute and it is heading towards anarchy. Such interference will set a precedent of defiance of BOG orders in the lower level. Instead of meddling into the affairs of the Institute in violation of BOG decisions, it will be better if the process of selection of permanent Director is completed expeditiously,” it says.
The Incharge syndrome has hit the administrative and academic functioning of the National Institute of Technology (nit) Srinagar, with the Board of Governors (BOG) being repeatedly “coerced” by a lobby of faculty in continuing the incharge Registrar from years.
Sources in the NIT told KNS that the only national engineering institute in the state is being run on incharge basis as the present incharge Registrar has been holding the post from years on the basis of coercing the head of the institute.
Sources in the NIT told KNS that Dr. M.J. Zarabi, Chairman, Board of Governors, NIT, Srinagar, resented the interference of HRD ministry and communicated to the ministry that “undue selection and interference should not be encouraged” in NITs and BOGs.
Dr. M.J. Zarabi, Chairman, Board of Governors, NIT told KNS that due process of BOG must be honoured by one and all. (KNS)