JUTA flays circular making police verification must for

The Jadavpur University Teachers' Association (JUTA), the largest faculty body in the institute, on Thursday flayed a state government circular making police verification and medical examination mandatory for future appointment of employees, including teachers, in state-aided varsities and colleges.

The JUTA, in a statement, said the circular, issued by the Department of Higher Education on February 24, infringes on the autonomy of the higher educational institutions.

JUTA General Secretary Partha Pratim Ray said they may take the path of agitation if the notification is not withdrawn.

"The notification is further evidence of the complete curtailment of the autonomy of institutions of higher education by the Government of West Bengal.

 

"This is a direct and brutal insult to those individuals who have, till now, been held in high esteem by members of the public and cast aspersion on all members of the teaching profession," Ray said in a statement on Thursday.

He wondered why should a law enforcement agency be tasked with the duty of verifying antecedents of those who aspire to teach in colleges and universities.

The circular said, "...all category of employees of state-aided universities and government-aided colleges, who are proposed to be appointed in any post, shall invariably be required to complete verification of personal antecedents and successful medical examination in the format prescribed."

The notification invoked the West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Act 2017 in issuing the directive.

"Every university or college shall take immediate steps to have done all procedural formalities regarding police verification and medical examination of the incumbent so appointed," it said.

The circular said the university or college authority can initially issue a provisional appointment letter to the person concerned "with a rider that such appointment is subjected to a successful medical examination by a competent medical board in due course".

"However, confirmation of service shall be withheld till receipt of report of police verification and medical examination, even after completion of usual period of probation," the notification added.