LAHORE, Jan 9: The Punjab governor has directed all universities in the province to process the upgradation of teachers posts one step above through statutory bodies strictly in accordance with the eligibility criteria.

The directive has been issued following complaints that some universities have upgraded posts without adhering to the laid down procedures and even without the chancellor’s approval.

The governor’s secretariat has directed the universities to strictly follow the eligibility criteria and procedures prescribed by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) without any deviations/relaxations whatsoever. It also stated that even recommendations of statutory bodies would take effect only after approval of the chancellor.

It may be mentioned that the HEC chairman had intimated that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had approved upgradation of the posts of university teachers one step above. He stated that the upgradation would be with effect from the date, the post in higher grade was actually filled in by the eligible person in accordance with the recruitment rules.

It is learnt that HEC chairman Prof Dr Attaur Rehman had written a letter to Punjab governor/chancellor Khalid Maqbool that university teachers, who did not have a PhD degree, could not be appointed/upgraded to posts of associate professors and professors as they were not “eligible” (except for those in clinical medical sciences, law, studio arts and design, architecture).

Prof Rehman stated that he had been given an understanding that varsities had already made amendments to recruitment rules accordingly. He stated the universities had also got the approval from their syndicate or executive council or board of governors for implementing orders of the prime minister subject to the assent of the chancellor in this regard.

If universities take up the issue individually, he said the process might take some time. It was, therefore, imperative that the blanket approval/assent to universities might be granted so that they become able to implement the orders at the earliest in accordance with instructions of the finance ministry.

To ensure transparency in implementation of this process, Prof Rehman stated that universities should also be instructed to create a web page for each faculty member in the varsity and place this information on their respective websites.

Referring to the HEC chairman’s letter and finance department’s approved conditions for upgradation of posts, the governor’s secretariat has asked the respective universities to amend the recruitment rules first and fill the posts thereafter.

The secretariat also stated that acts/ordinances of all public sector universities laid down a procedure for amendments to service statutes applicable to their employees. It said the statutes pertaining to terms and conditions of service would not be effective until approved by the chancellor.

When contacted, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, vice-chancellor Muhammad Akram said UET had already got approved its eligibility criteria for recruitment from all statutory bodies and consequently the chancellor.

He said the secretariat’s this direction would not affect the already completed process of upgradation of teachers posts in the university. He said the university had even refused upgradation of posts for certain faculty members, who did not fulfill the criteria.

“The UET, Lahore, has not violated any statutes applicable to its employees and all the latest notifications have been forwarded to HEC, which has also accepted them.”

Mr Akram said the university senate chaired by the chancellor had earlier allowed UET’s selection board to give some relaxations in eligibility criteria some time back. Later, he said, the university had also removed those relaxations on the instructions of the chancellor.

When contacted, Punjab University registrar Prof Dr Muhammad Naeem Khan said the varsity would follow the instructions issued by the governor’s secretariat.

He said the university would discuss these directions in its next syndicate meeting and decide further course of action.