Assistant professors' transfer impasse continues

HYDERABAD:   The issue of 268 assistant professors working on contract basis in constituent colleges of Osmania University remains in limbo despite talks between them and OU Vice-Chancellor Prof. D. Ravinder on Tuesday at the behest of education minister Sabitha Indra Reddy.

On September 2, the assistant professors had refused to go on transfer to another college from the institution to which they had been first appointed on contract basis. Their concern was that their transfer orders had been given over the phone. They called on the education minister with their grievance.

Their fears are that without any written transfer orders from the Vice-Chancellor’s office, they would be losing their seniority upon being transferred.

Sabitha Indra Reddy then called for a meeting where Prof. Ravinder and Prof. R. Limbadri, TS Council for Higher Education chairman, were been present. Following this, “modified transfer orders” have been issued. The agitating assistant professors are not agreeable to the wording of these orders too.
D. Priya Kumari, assistant professor in zoology, explained that the modified order does not have the word “transfer”. It merely says “Work assignment at other colleges”. Moreover, this order is not coming from the OU Vice-Chancellor or registrar’s office, but from principal of the college to which they had been originally appointed. As per this, they must report to the newly assigned college. “We are not ready for this. From the beginning, we have been demanding proper transfer orders,” Priya Kumari stated.

Prof. Ravinder pointed out, “The assistant professors had been employed on contract by the then principals of colleges. Most of those appointment letters are not clear as to when some of the assistant professors joined duty. The university is assuring them that their jobs are not under threat. They can join their new posts without any hesitation,” Prof. Ravinder clarified.