NBU Removes ‘Contractual’ tag for Teachers Development in the Varsity

Webdesk, TNI Siliguri, 7^th January, 2023: University of North Bengal becomes the first University in North Bengal region to move in the direction of removing the discriminatory line between the regular teachers and the contractual teachers in the University. In a press briefing today the authorities of the University of North Bengal declared the removal of terminologies line ‘contractual’, ‘ad-hoc’, etc. from the official designations of the teachers. According to the University officials, the so called contractual teachers will from now get facilities and benefits at par with regular teachers which are conducive to academic and institutional growth. The present Vice-Chancellor Prof. Om Prakash Mishra, who has got a term of just 3 months (presently extended to another 1 month), had taken various steps in this period that is showing a light of hope for the University in the areas of research and development, academic excellence and infrastructural development. The present step is also believed to be one such move in which a committee was formed by Prof. Om Prakash Mishra to look into the demands of the contractual teachers. Yesterday in a meeting between the Vice-Chancellor and 40 contractual teachers, the committee published its report. The report says that contractual teachers working in the university from now on will be brought in a pay matrix slab based on their tenure and academic performance for their salary increment. Till now no such system were followed and the teachers used to get a lump sum amount year after year with no increment and progression based on academic performance. Furthermore, the teachers can also supervise Ph.D. scholars and can become principal investigator of sponsored research projects. The committee was headed by Prof. Anirban Misra and comprised of the Registrar, the Finance Officer, the Director of the Centre for Distance Education and 2 other teachers from the University, supported by the Jt Registrar, Assistant Registrar & the Development Officer of the University of North Bengal. According to the Honorable Vice Chancellor Prof. Om Prakash Mishra – “These teachers are not less than regular teachers in qualification and performance and they deserve similar facilities being enjoyed by regular teacher. The committee has made rightful recommendations to encourage these teachers for the benefit of the university at large and students in particular.”