As per media reports, the rules and process of appointment of assistant professors in the universities of Bihar will change. Governor-cum-Chancellor Syed Ata Hasnain has constituted a four-member committee to review the existing appointment process and suggest improvements to it. The committee will submit its report within 90 days. Raj Bhavan issued a notification for the constitution of the committee on 12 September. The high-level committee was constituted as part of an agreement reached between the Governor and the students protesting under the banner of the All PhD Holders and Research Association.
Formation of Four-Member Committee
The Governor has formed a four-member committee which includes the following members:
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Sanjay Kumar: Retired IAS
Amarjeet Sinha: Retired IAS
HC Verma: Prominent Physicist
PK Roy: Well-known Educationist
The committee is entrusted with the responsibility of reforming the appointment process and reviewing the existing provisions. The committee includes two such retired officers of the Indian Administrative Service who have long experience in the field of education. The committee includes former IAS Amarjeet Sinha and Sanjay Kumar, former IIT professor Padma Shri Prof. H.C. Verma, and Dr. P.K. Roy.
Amarjeet Sinha has been the head of various departments, including the Education Department, in Bihar and at the Center. He has fulfilled the responsibility of Additional Chief Secretary in the Bihar Government. Similarly, Sanjay Kumar has also been in many important departments, including the Education Department, in the Bihar Government as well as the Central Government. He recently retired from the post of Secretary of the Ministry of Education of the Central Government.
Prof. H.C. Verma is a prominent physicist of the country. He has been a professor at IIT Kanpur. Dr. P.K. Roy is also a well-known educationist. Additional Secretary (University) in the Governor's Secretariat, Sanjay Kumar, will be the Member Secretary of the committee.
What Will the Committee Work Upon?
The newly formed committee will review several important aspects related to the appointment of assistant professors. These include age limit, educational qualification and eligibility, method of examination and interview, relative weightage given to different standards, matters related to guest professors, and other related issues.
What Were the Students Protesting For?
The PhD students had continuously protested for 21 days in Gardanibagh in August regarding their demands. After this, on August 24, talks were held between Governor Syed Ata Hasnain and a 6-member delegation of the All PhD Holders and Research Association. On that day, an agreement was reached between them on two subjects. Under this, it was decided that any regular or contractual recruitment of assistant professors based on the 2024 statute would only take place after considering the main demands of the Association and making necessary amendments to the Assistant Professor Recruitment Statute, 2024. Until then, this statute had been suspended.