SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, June 29: The teachers of Jharkhand universities get total leave in a year far less than their counterparts of Bihar and West Bengal universities.
As per the uniform leave calendar 2023 issued by the secretariat of the new Governor, the teachers of universities/colleges of Jharkhand have been given 72 leaves in a year but at the same time, the teachers of Bihar universities/colleges get a total of 92 days in a year.
On the other hand, teachers of West Bengal universities and colleges have more than 125 leaves in a year, including one day off facility in a week for class preparation apart from Sunday leave.
The teachers of Jharkhand universities/colleges were availing a total leave in a year at par with their counterparts in Bihar till May 2023. But in the new uniform leave calendar issued by Raj Bhawan on May 16, 2023, a massive curtailment has been made.
The teachers of Jharkhand have been given a summer vacation of 20 days, Durga Puja vacation of six days, autumn vacation (during Diwali and Chhath) of 12 days and five restricted holidays. Besides, they also get casual leave (CL) of eight days and earned leave (EL) of 12 days.
In comparison to Jharkhand, teachers of Bihar are getting 30 days of summer vacation, Durga Puja leave five days, Diwali – Chhath 10 days, Xmas vacation eight days, CL 12 days, EL 10 days and 40 others.
In West Bengal, teachers get 30 days of summer vacation, 25 days in Durga Puja and other vacation/ leave. Apart from it, they also get one day off in a week (besides Sunday) for class preparation at par with the Central Universities of the country.
Interestingly the teachers of Jharkhand Universities/colleges, who are vocational staff as per Jharkhand University Act 2000, have also been given less leave facility than non-vocational staff (non-teaching).
The non-vocational employees get 33 days earned leave, 16 days casual leave and all public holidays whereas vocational staff get merely 12 EL, eight CL and all public holidays.
“This means that the recent decision of the Raj Bhawan to limit the summer vacation of vocational staff to 20 makes a sharp difference from non-vocational staff who get 71 days benefit. Such discrimination within the same institution is not justifiable,” said a senior professor of Binod Bihari Mahto Koylanchal University Dhanbad.
The Federation of University Teachers Association of Jharkhand (FUTAJ), the frontal organization of all teachers of all seven universities of the state, is waiting for the response of the Raj Bhawan to its memorandum submitted to the principal secretary of Chancellor Dr Nitin Madan Kulkarni on May 29 to decide further course of action.
