Fill SC/ST vacancies as per HC order

CHENNAI:  Fill up all the SC/ST  teaching vacancies  in all  government colleges  as per  roster-based seniority as directed by the High Court, demanded  the  Tamil Nadu University /Colleges SC/ST Teaching and non-Teaching Staff Association here, on Wednesday. On Tuesday the  HC had given a directive to the Higher Education department to prepare a  seniority list as per the roster system.In 2003, Jayaprakash, Director of  Collegiate Education, passed a proceeding called the 336 proceeding , according to which seniority of college teaching staff will be based on the date of joining. Prior to 2003, from 1998 onwards a caste-based roaster was followed. Dr Kannaiyan, State coordinator of TN University /Colleges SC/ST Teaching and non-Teaching Staff Association, speaking at a press meet said, “Since the HC has given a direction to prepare a seniority list, we hope the government led by Amma will soon  see through that all the vacant SC/ ST appointments are filled.”Going by the roster system, now 20 SC/ST candidates have the seniority to occupy the principal post in government colleges in TN.Dr Kannaiyan  pointed out that no SC/ ST occupies top decision making positions like Vice Chancellor, Registrar or Controller of Examination in any of the 25 universities in TN. He also put forward a  demand to follow  the roster system in the appointment of this top university positions. In the nominated positions in the University’s Senate and Syndicate, they requested that an 18 percent reservation for SC/ST be brought in.They also demanded that the government scrap the new pension scheme and revert to the old one, which will allow them to have monthly pension as well as family pension and to pass the order for probation declaration for all lecturers who have joined between 2007 and 2009 as they have completed the mandated probation period of two years.They  also wanted the government to soon ensure that all government colleges appoint an SC/ST as coordinator of the SC/ST Cell as per the UGC  norms. Dr Kannaiyan said, “Most colleges in TN don’t even have an SC/ST cell. The demands will be presented to the CM and respective officials”, he said.