With some modifications, the Jammu and Kashmir Public Universities Bill has been forwarded to the Union Home Ministry for further action and enactment of the Act to regulate all the public universities across J&K Union Territory.
Official sources told the Excelsior that two most significant modifications in the draft bill pertain to giving enhanced weightage to M Phil/Ph D/ other higher academic achievements for the teaching positions and allowing university officers as well as teachers to apply for the post of Registrar.
Besides, sources added, around half a dozen minor modifications have been made in the draft bill, which was approved on October 8, 2022 by the Jammu Kashmir Administrative Council, led by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.
Considering the demand for giving adequate weightage to M Phil/Ph D and other higher academic achievements of candidates to enhance the quality of education, the Government has slightly changed the weightage in screening test criteria for the teaching positions, except Professor and equivalent in the universities.
After modification in draft bill, weightage accorded to the written test by J&K Public Service Commission for the teaching positions shall be of 60 percent of the total instead of 75 percent while Academic Record and Research Performance as graded by the J&KPSC shall have weightage of 25 percent instead of 10 percent. However, weightage of the personal interview by the Selection Committee shall remain 15 percent.
It may be mentioned here that no modification has been made for all positions in the officer cadre and equivalent in Universities. For these positions, weightage of the Written Test by J&K PSC and Academic Record shall remain 75 percent and 10 percent respectively.
Another significant modification in the draft bill is with regard to the appointment of Registrar who shall be the Chief Administrative Officer of the university.
As per the modification, the university officers and teachers can also apply for the post of Registrar if they fulfill the eligibility criteria and minimum qualification such as Master’s Degree with at least 55 percent marks or an equivalent grade, at least 15 years of experience as an Assistant professor in Academic Level 11 and above or with eight years of Service in Academic Level 12 and above including as an Associate Professor along with experience in educational administration. Similarly, officers having 15 years of administrative experience, of which eight years should be as Deputy Registrar or an equivalent post, are eligible to apply for the post of Registrar.
In the earlier draft, any serving officer of the administrative services or any eligible serving civil servant of appropriate seniority were eligible to be appointed by the Government as Registrar on a deputation basis.
Now, in addition to the provision for the nomination of Registrar by the Government on deputation basis, modification in the draft bill says that the university may appoint the Registrar on fixed tenure basis subject to the procedure, eligibility and qualification as prescribed by the Act.
The new draft bill also explains that selection procedure of the Registrar, who shall be appointed on the tenure basis by the Chancellor, on the recommendation of a committee consisting of the Vice-Chancellor as Chairperson, a nominee of the Governing Council to be nominated by the Chancellor, an eminent personality or an academician or civil servant of repute to be nominated by the Chancellor, a member of the J&K PSC and Administrative Secretary Higher Education.
However, this selection procedure shall not apply to the serving officer of the administrative officer of the administrative services or university or any eligible serving civil servant appointed as Registrar by the Government on deputation basis.
Besides, the draft bill forwarded by the J&K Government and received by the Union Home Ministry for further action, has a few more modifications establishing Chancellor as head of the universities in Jammu and Kashmir.
After approval by the Union Home Ministry, the draft bill is required to be passed in Parliament for enactment of Jammu and Kashmir Public Universities Act 2022, which shall come into force on such date as the Government may issue the relevant Gazette Notification in this regard.
