Report। Shozab Muneer
Aligarh. The AMU is seeing several appointments that may be illegal, the illegality might be that the posts are filled up without selection committees or are non-existing posts. Recently questions were asked regarding appointments of OSD in the university by the Nationally Renowned RTI activist Professor Tariq Islam of AMU Under Section 6(1) read with 7(1), 7(9) & 10 of the RTI I to inform on the following queries.
- Separately the number of OSDs presently working in (i) the University, (ii) University Schools and (iii) institutions maintained by the University.
- Separately the number of OSDs presently working in the (i) University, (ii) University Schools and (iii) institutions maintained by the University whose term of appointment has been extended.
- The legal provisions under which the Vice Chancellor can appoint an OSD.
- The legal provisions under which the Vice Chancellor can extend an appointment of an OSD.
- The legal provisions under which the Vice Chancellor can extend an appointment of an illegally appointed OSD.
- The legal provisions under which a teacher can be appointed an OSD.
AMU Central Public Information Officer gave unsatisfactory and misleading answers, since there was no reply on the extension of the appointment of OSDs, therefore an appeal was filed on October 26, 2024 to the Vice Chancellor as appellate authority after which on December 02, 2024 answers were given. Six professors are serving as OSDs apart from the Controller of Examinations and Finance Officer, which totals eight teachers thus engaged apart from their academic duties.
According to reliable sources The Ministry of Education had sent a letter on September 11, 2024 regarding the teachers working as Finance Officer and Controller of Examinations, observing that they may be detracted from their basic academic duties thus affecting both their performance and the University’s overall academic environment. The Ministry required necessary steps to be taken to fill these statutory posts within sixty days, that is by November 10, 2024, however, no action has been initiated as of today, that is even after ninety days. It may be because of this that information was not being provided in the first instant and was provided only after the appeal. The information now provided regarding six teachers appointed as OSDs is:
(1) OSD. Development Professor Aasim Zafar Dept of Computer Science. Date of appointment May 11, 2024 term up to May 10, 2026.
(2) OSD, Office of Controller Prof S.K. Ehtisham Uddin Ahmad Dept of law. Date of appointment Mar 21.2024 Term up to Mar 20, 2025.
(3) OSD. Controller of Exams Prof Aejaz Masood Dept of Electrical Engineering. Date of appointment March 20. 2018 Term up to Till further orders.
(4) OSD, Controller of Examination Dr Faisal Hasan Dept of Mechanical Engineering. Date of appointment July 05, 2019, Term up to Till further orders
(5) OSD, V.C. Office Prof Asfar Ali Khan Dept of Electrical Engineering. Date of appointment May 16, 2017. Term up to Till further orders
(6) OSD, (Selection Committee Teaching & non-teaching) Prof Mohammad Parvez Dept of History. Date of appointment Sept 08, 2023. Term up to Till further orders
Next there the RTI reply also says that there are no rules under which the Vice Chancellor can appoint or extend the appointment of OSDs and there is no rule for appointing of teachers as OSDs.
National Renowned RTI activist Professor Tariq Islam told the reporter that after appealing a proper reply provided to get this information it took nearly three months. It indicates that the University does not want to provide information since it will expose illegalities involved in all kinds of appointments
A question is raised that illegalities are committed in the appointment of university teachers, its suspected that the present selection committees are being held to regularise these illegal appointments, a method of back entries. Secondly, there are three OSDs in the Controller office, one in Development Section, one in VC Office, one OSD for Selection Committee Sections for both Teaching & Non-teaching recruitments. Surprisingly two OSDs are time bound but four OSDs are appointed till further orders, strangely one OSD was appointed seven years ago on Mar 20, 2017 till further orders, on this people are making a satire that he is as OSD Emeritus.
Professor Tariq Islam asks does the university not have competent Joint Registrars, Deputy Registrars or Assistant Registrars that requires teachers to perform the task at the expense of their academic duties and not being able to concentrate on teaching and academic research. He added there are no posts of OSDs in the University.
In this regard MIC PRO Prof. Asim Siddique said that MICs are not paid stipend, however he does not know whether OSDs are paid stipends. & regarding the letter sent by The Ministry of Education had sent a letter on September 11, 2024 Prof Asim said that no such letters were issued by th e Ministry in his knowledge.
Meantime some teachers doubt that OSDs are paid stipend or at least perks, otherwise why would a teacher spend such a lot of time to hold these posts or is it a power play by becoming buffers for Vice Chancellor, etc.
