UGC plans unified public university staff hiring policy

Highlights 

• The policy is first of its kind
• It is aimed at curbing recruitment anomalies
• Universities mostly arrange written exams in name only and appoint their preselected candidates
• A committee led by UGC member Professor DrDilAfroza Begum will make the policy
• The policy will include candidates' qualifications to apply and be promoted and also their dismissal rules 

For the first time, the University Grants Commission (UGC) is going to introduce a unified policy on the recruitment and promotion of public universities' teachers and other staff to curb irregularities.

It moved to formulate the policy after allegations of nepotism and corruption in hiring officials and workers in public universities had become widespread. 

Sources say the UGC has formed a committee headed by its member Professor DrDilAfroza Begum to formulate the policy. 

Professor Dr Abu Taher, a member of the committee, told The Business Standard there is no unified policy to hire officials and workers at public universities. 

He said many universities had appointed staff members as they had wished. 

"We are going to formulate a unified recruitment policy, which will facilitate appointing qualified candidates. It will include candidates' qualifications to apply and be promoted as well as the rules to sack them," he said.

"There were 10 salary grades for government officials in 1973, which was increased to 20 in 1980. Now they get jobs and promotions as per the pay scale 2015. We will use the past experiences to make the policy and it will not contradict the official salary grades," he added. 

Universities publish job circulars in newspapers as per their own laws now. Most of them seek a bachelor's or a master's degree for the posts candidates are applying for. 

Candidates must have a minimum CGPA of 3 out of 4 in both bachelor's and master's to apply for the post of a first class official in departments under science, social science, business studies, law, engineering, and agriculture faculties. 

In most cases, universities arrange written exams in name only and appoint their preselected candidates, depriving others. The UGC also received many allegations where illicit financial transactions had been made in exchange for the assurance of appointments. Universities' top officials had allegedly been involved in this.    

Professor Dr Farid Uddin Ahmed, vice-chancellor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, who is a member of the committee, said they were trying to formulate a world-class policy that would stop all kinds of irregularities. 

In January this year, the UGC finalised a unified teachers' recruitment and promotion policy for public universities. According to that, candidates with published results of master's degrees would be eligible to apply. 

To apply for lecturer posts in departments under science, social science, business studies, law, engineering, and agriculture faculties, candidates must have a minimum CGPA of 3.5 out of 4 in both bachelor's and master's, according to the policy.

For departments under humanities and fine arts faculties, candidates must have a minimum CGPA of 3.25 in bachelor's or 3.5 in master's while a minimum CGPA of 3.25 out of 4 is required in the five-year architecture programme. 

A lecturer can be promoted to assistant professor after three years of active teaching, said the policy, adding a lecturer with an MPhil degree may be promoted after two years of active service, and a PhD after one year.

It also said the person must have at least three publications in recognised journals.

An assistant professor can be promoted to associate professor after serving for seven years while MPhil degree holders will require six years for the promotion and those with a PhD need four years, according to the policy. All candidates must have at least 12 publications in recognised journals.

An associate professor can be promoted to professor after serving for 10 years. MPhil degree holders may be promoted after seven years, and those with a PhD after five years. They must have at least three publications as the lead author. 

Recent recruitment irregularities 

The UGC last year found evidence of irregularities committed by Rajshahi University's then vice-chancellor Professor M AbdusSobhan in appointing some officials. 

After the commission submitted the probe report on the matter, the education ministry dismissed all the appointments made violating rules. 

Professor Sobhan in May this year appointed 139 officials ad hoc, which was a direct violation of the UGC rules.

Later, the education ministry cancelled the appointments, terming the process illegal. 

The illegal appointees now demand that their appointments be made permanent. 

Professor Taher said the UGC would never accept ad hoc appointments. 

In 2019, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University's Vice-Chancellor KhondokerMdNasiruddin resigned amid ongoing protests demanding his removal as he had been involved in many irregularities that included recruitment. 

Those appointed in violation of the rules now demand that their appointments be made permanent.