CHENNAI: Anna University has decided to provide some relief to the non-engineering faculty members working in engineering colleges by removing the mandatory requirement of NET, SLET, or PhD qualification. This new decision applies to the faculty members who have joined on or before March 1, 2019, in the science and humanities departments.
Earlier, Anna University had introduced a rule which made it compulsory for all non-engineering faculty members to have NET, SLET, or PhD qualifications. However, this decision created problems for the existing faculty members who did not possess these qualifications. The engineering colleges had requested for a relaxation of this rule, stating that they had appointed these faculty members as per the previous norms.
Anna University’s Centre for Affiliation of Institutions has issued a circular in preparation for the inspection of engineering colleges in the upcoming academic year of 2023-24. The circular has been released with the purpose of providing clarity on the norms for the faculty members in the science and humanities departments. The circular aims to ensure that the engineering colleges comply with the university’s rules and regulations and maintain the necessary standards of education. This circular is expected to be helpful for both the colleges and the faculty members to understand the expectations and requirements set by Anna University.
“The incumbent science and humanities faculty members without NET or SLET or PhD who have joined or before March 1, 2019 may be permitted to continue in the same college,” the university circular said.
“For promotions or movement to other affiliated colleges under the same university on or after March 1, 2019, the faculty members need not satisfy the requirement,” it said, adding that faculty members who have joined any institution for the first time on or after March 1, 2019 should satisfy the requirement of NET or SLET or SET or PhD on any post.
“When we tried to enforce the AICTE’s new norms last year, many colleges claimed that these faculty members with MPhil degrees were appointed based on earlier norms. So, we have revised the norms exempting the faculty members who joined before the new norms were introduced,” an official from the university said.
“Many faculty members without NET or PhD were under pressure from college managements. It will not only help them continue in their jobs but will also enable them to move to other colleges,” said B Chidambararajan, director of SRM Valliammai Engineering College.
Anna University has announced a relaxation of norms for principals who were appointed before the cutoff date. According to a university official, if a principal was appointed as per the previous norms before the cutoff date and moves to a new college, they will be permitted to continue working as the principal in the new institution until further notification by the university.
This decision has been taken to ensure that the principals are not negatively affected by the change in norms and can continue to contribute their expertise to the academic institutions. This move is expected to provide relief to many principals who were appointed before the introduction of new norms and would have otherwise faced difficulties in continuing their work in new institutions.
“The new norms say the principal should have guided two PhD students. It would be difficult for principals who were appointed as per earlier rules to guide PhD students while holding the administrative post. Now, the relaxation enables principals to go to new colleges,” said D Valavan, principal of Saranathan College of Engineering in Trichy.
For more news click Here
