HYDERABAD, June 23: Senior professors of the Sindh university have taken exception to the award of BPS-21 grade to favourites of the administration, saying the grade has been awarded in gross violation of rules of the Higher Education Commission.

In a signed statement on Wednesday, Prof (Dr) Mehtab Ali Shah, who is the winner of the best teachers' award 2000, Prof (Dr) Mumtaz Bhutto, former dean, faculty of Islamic studies, Prof (Dr) Usman Memon, director, institute of pharmacy, and Prof (Dr) Karimdad Pitafi of the department of zoology alleged that three non-PhDs were selected for the award of BPS-21.

They said that in order to accommodate its favourites, the administration hurriedly convened a meeting of the special selection board which was even not attended by representatives of the HEC and Sindh education department.

They said that their absence made it easier for the university administration to select its own favourites. They regretted that when a person could not be selected as an associate professor in BPS-19 or a professor in BPS-20 without a PhD degree then how could they be selected in grade-21 without a PhD degree.

They said that only recently, seven senior professors of Karachi were awarded grade-21 but all of them were PhD degree holders and established scholars and recognized at the national and international level.

Conversely, they said, the Sindh university administration promoted three non-PhDs to grade-21, who had zero foreign publications. They said that another person, who got a local PhD degree with zero foreign publication was selected for BPS-21. They said that this person had remained away from the university for many years.