Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad faces pay scale row

Hyderabad: In a fresh turn of events, private engineering colleges and the affiliating university JNTU are now sparring over faculty pay scales.

The varsity has asked engineering colleges to submit an affidavit that they will enhance faculty salaries and pay them as per the AICTE norms in order to get affiliation. But, colleges are against this as they say they can’t enhance pay unless course fee is hiked.

Tussles between the JNTU Hyderabad and private engineering colleges have been unending since the disaffiliation of 173 engineering colleges last year.

JNTU will again take up inspections of engineering colleges in May this year to ascertain their eligibility for affiliation for this academic year.

It is learnt that in addition to the regular compliance to AICTE norms on faculty and infrastructure, the varsity wants engineering colleges to enhance their faculty salaries to match prescribed norms.

Even in the inspection reports of colleges last December, JNTU pointed out that the faculty were not being paid salaries as per prescribed norms.

According to the norms, an Assistant Professor would receive minimum of Rs 50,000, an Associate Professor would get Rs 80,000 and a Professor would be paid Rs 1.5 lakhs.

However, colleges say that the varsity is ignoring ground realities. “AICTE norms are for the whole of India. But JNTU should recognise ground realities.

It is impossible for us to pay salaries as per norms at the current fee structure. How can we submit an affidavit saying we will pay as per norms when we can’t,” an engineering college owner said.

However, fee fixation doesn’t come under JNTU’s jurisdiction. They are fixed by the Admissions and Fee Regulatory Committee. Fee revision is not scheduled until the next year.