Thiruvananthapuram: The Calicut University has decided to grant professorship to retired college teachers in violation of the UGC norms.
The vice-chancellor has issued an order, amending the UGC norms for this. The Save University Campaign Committee has alleged that the move is being made to award professorship to Higher Education Minister R Bindu with retrospective effect.
The Section 6.3(5) of the UGC Regulation 2018 stipulates that only those who are in service should be considered for the post of professor. The selection committee has to conduct the interview and make recommendations to grant the professor post.
While she had been the English teacher at the Kerala Varma College that is affiliated to the Calicut University, Minister Bindu had taken voluntary retirement in March last year to contest in the state Assembly elections.
With this move, around 100 retired teachers, including Bindu, will get professorship with retrospective effect. As the professor status would be accorded to the retired teachers too, each of them will have to be paid salary arrears of up to Rs 5 lakh. And this will lead to an additional liability of Rs 5 crore for the government.
Following a controversy over the minister taking the oath as Professor Bindu, a gazette notification was issued on June 8 last year and the title of professor was withdrawn.
