By Melarbor L Thabah
The Central Universities Act, 2009 stipulates the establishment of the posts of Chief Rector, Chancellor, Vice Chancellor and Pro Vice Chancellor. The Chief Rector is usually the Governor of a state for state or central universities. He Acts as the titular head of the university and as a bridge between the university and the government. The Chancellor also acts as the titular head of the university. He presides over the annual university convocations to confer degrees. The Vice-Chancellor (VC) is the true Chief Executive and Academic Head of the University whose primary function is being day-to-day leader of the university. He serves as the Chairman of the Executive Council, Academic Council, and Finance Committee. He manages the budget, finances and resource allocation of the university. He oversees the university’s academic direction, setting standards for teaching and research thus translating broad university goals into actionable policy. He is the principal disciplinary authority of the university. He presides over convocations if the Chancellor is absent. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Pro VC) is the deputy to the Vice-Chancellor. He assists the Vice-Chancellor with operational and academic responsibilities often managing certain portfolios, departments for regional campuses if any. He takes on as chairperson for specific committees in the absence of the VC.
Voidance of the post of Pro Vice Chancellor: Rescinding the post Pro VC saves the finances of each and every university as part of the austerity measures and to economize university spending in perpetuity. It is also a waste of nomenclature and creates more confusion instead of simplifying the hierarchical posts in the university. Just as there is a President and Vice President only,so should there be a Chancellor and a Vice-Chancellor only. Therefore, this annoying yet extremely aggravating post of Pro Vice Chancellor must be totally abolished forever from all central, state, private universities or other higher technical educational institutions like IITs, IIMs and the like which confer master and doctoral degrees. The post of Pro Vice Chancellor must henceforth, be substituted by the post of Vice Chancellor who will now have the same role, duties and responsibilities as that of the erstwhile Pro Vice Chancellor. Likewise, the post of Vice Chancellor must now be substituted by the post of Chancellor who will now have the same role, duties and responsibilities as that of the Vice Chancellor.It makes absolutely no sense and defies logic to the very core to have two titular heads for a university and also to have four leaders instead of just three for any higher education institution. The Chief Rector who will now have the same role as before but in his absence, the Chancellor will undertake this function.
Age Curtailment: There has been a consistent educated youth unemployment problem plaguing this nation which is now at 67 % amongst youths who had passed from Matriculation to Doctoral degree whose percentage has varied little from May 2019 to June 2026 and beyond; with graduate unemployment at 42% percent as per Periodic Labour Force Survey by the National Statistical Office. In order to solve this problem for doctoral degree holders, the retirement age for the approximately 26, 000 central higher and technical faculty members from all institutions bar none must be brought down from 65 years to 60 years which includes the Pro VC and VC or the Deputy Director and Director. In 1998 and 2007 the reason for raising the retirement age of central faculty institutions of all types is because to mitigate a critical shortage of teachers in higher and technical education as per the Ministry of Human Resource Development (now the Ministry of Education) and issued directives to increase the superannuation age from 60 to 62 and later to 65 years for faculty positions in centrally-funded higher and technical education institutions. This was formally integrated with the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations implemented by the end of 2008. By amending this anti youth ordinance of 1998 and 2007 in 2008, the millions of youths who have a doctoral degree, who are young and dynamic, progressive thinking will not be able to teach in higher and technical education institutions. India today is not the India of 1998 and 2007 where only a few doctoral degrees are awarded pan India every year. As per All-India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) of the Department of Education in 2021-22 approximately 33,000 PhD degrees were awarded and for 2025-26 the number of doctoral degree awardees is 40,000 approximately and increasing every year. Moreover, as per Global ranking, India produces the 3rd highest volume of doctorates in the world after China and the USA in top disciplines like science technology, agriculture, social sciences commerce, and management. Where will all these young, intelligent, dynamic, progressive thinking doctoral degree holders go and work when this present illogical retirement age for faculty members in higher and technical institutions for faculty members is 65 years which extends up to a ludicrous 70 years for Pro VC and VC? Should they work in Group D and Group C posts which dis utilizes their potential simply because the superannuation age of higher and technical education faculties is 65 years? These are the pertinent questions which must be pondered and with action taken to rescind the current superannuation age. The sole reason to raise the age limit in 1998 and 2007 was because of the shortage of doctoral degree holders in alleviating the superannuation age.However, in this era per the survey given above and India’s 3rd rank of producing PhD youths, the superannuation age must be rescinded to 60 years immediately this year for all faculty members of central universities in view of the dearth in employment just as the scientists of CSIR ,GSI, ASI, MSI, BSI, APSI who retire at 60 years of age thereby bringing parity and also creating vacancies for new appointments to be made.. The age of retirement for Chancellor and Vice Chancellor must not exceed 60 years which means that the maximum age to be eligible to become Pro VC and VC is 55 years from the current 65 years.Advanced age brings a certain experience but that experience might not be of quality but simply the process of going on as the day-to-day activities as the years pass by with normal production of papers and PhD students. Any opposition to age curtailment will be viewed as greedy, selfish with narcissistic behaviour. It is worth reminding that the faculty members of all types of Central Institutions have kids who have doctoral degrees like their parents will need to find jobs and will not be solely dependent on their parents’ money, hence they too will face the same unemployment because of the silly superannuation age at 65 years and 70 years respectively.
Advertisement and Appointment Blame Game: As we have seen in NEHUand perhaps some other central universities or other higher technical institutions that there has been no advertisement in bulk in this first university in North East India allowing this university to rot administratively by blaming the Education Ministry and UGC for disallowing to advertise the already sanctioned posts and cancellation of the advertised posts allegedly. The Executive Council of the respective university holds the sole authority to approve and release advertisements for vacant positions. This authority is derived directly from the university’s individual Act of Parliament and its framed Statutes and Ordinances Of the UGC and Ministry of Education: While they do not issue the advertisements themselves, they monitor vacancy statuses and oversee adherence to reservation rosters and qualifications for which Nehu is trying to put the blame on allegedly. Henceforth reforms are needed so that advertisement and appointment will be by the Executive Committee of that university or other higher and technical institutions solely. Only for sanctioning new posts, will the Education Ministry approve and have a say but not on advertisement and appointment on the already sanctioned posts. This has to make clear vide notification. The then dehumanising name of Ministry of Human Resource for whichI praise the BJP government for changing the name of the ministry and hoped that they will Amend the Ordinance of 2009 and Notifications of 1998 and 2007 in the wider public interest of the tens of thousands of doctoral degree youths emerging per year and lakhs every 5 years to provide vacancies from superannuation for gainful employment.
