Jaipur: Rajasthan University has revived the process of teacher promotions, pending for nearly 13 years, with new vice-chancellor Prof Bhagwati Prasad Saraswat initiating steps to move it forward.The appointment of an assistant professor as head of the department of statistics has also brought the university’s administrative practices into focus.Sanjay Kumar, former president of the Rajasthan University Teachers Association (RUTA), welcomed both developments. He said the university had long followed an administrative interpretation requiring an assistant professor to have at least 10 years of service to be appointed as a head of department. A reconsideration of the rules has now paved the way for a qualified teacher to take up the responsibility, he said.Kumar said Saraswat took up the issue of promotions under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) within the first month of assuming office. However, teachers would get actual relief only when the process moves forward and their pending cases are resolved.Kumar has also proposed regular meetings between the vice-chancellor and teachers and students to ensure their concerns reach the university administration directly. Saraswat has responded positively to the proposal and assured him that a decision would be taken soon, Kumar said.The proposed meetings could give teachers and students a direct platform to raise grievances and offer suggestions to the university administration.
