KARACHI, Dec 12: In a move that defies logic, the Sindh education department has posted a number of recently-promoted associate professors possessing Science degrees at commerce or arts colleges. Moreover, some of them have been posted at those colleges whose SNE (sanctioned new establishment) has not yet been approved, which means that they may not be able to draw their salaries. The office of the provincial Accountant-General, which manages the affairs of government servants’ salaries, does not keep the record of non-SNE institutions.

The provincial education department has recently promoted 76 female assistant professors (BPS-18) serving at various government colleges in Sindh to associate professor (BPS-19). Similar promotion of male college teachers is awaited, however.

Quoting some instances of anomalies in the transfer and posting of the promoted professors, sources in the education sector said that the associate professor of home economics until recently posted at the SMB Fatima Jinnah College for Women, Tanvir Khalid, has been transferred to the Shaheed-i-Millat Govt Degree College for Women, Azizabad, despite the fact that home economics is not taught at the college of her new posting.

Similarly, Sajida Bano, who was an assistant professor of chemistry at the Riaz Govt Girls College, Liaquatabad, has been transferred to the Govt Girls College, Qasimabad, Liaquatabad, after her promotion. The institution of her new posting is an arts college. Nighat Iftikhar, an assistant professor of botany at the SMB Fatima Jinnah College for Women, has been transferred as associate professor to a commerce college, the H.I. Usmania Govt Girls College, Nazimabad, while Nuzhat Naqvi, a professor of microbiology at the S.M. Govt Science College, and Naheed Mehmood, also professor of microbiology at the Abdullah Govt College for Women, have been promoted and transferred to the Khursheed Govt Girls College and the Govt Girls College, Sector 11-B, North Karachi, respectively, despite the fact that microbiology is not taught at either college.

The promoted professors given posting at non-SNE colleges include Rana Shah of the Govt Degree Girls College, Gizri, Zamzama Street; Munawwar Fahmi of the Govt Degree Girls College, Gulshan-i-Iqbal; Shehnaz Bhatti of the Govt Degree Girls College, Gizri, Zamzama Street; Shamma Syed of the Govt Degree Girls College, Gulshan-i-Iqbal; Rehana Memon of the Govt Degree Girls College, Gizri, Zamzama Street; and Zubaida Baloch of the Govt Degree Girls Science and Commerce College, Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

Prof Iftikhar of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association told Dawn that the anomalies had been brought to the notice of the education secretary, Rizwan Memon.