Edu Minister promises strict action for delay in teachers' pay

Bihar Education Minister Ashok Chaudhary today promised strict action, including suspension of finance department officials, over delay in release of funds for payment of salaries to school teachers in the state.
"Strict action will be taken against errant officials, including stopping their salaries and suspension if they do not mend their ways," he said.
Chaudhary said this while replying to a question by JD(U) MLC Sanjeev Kumar Singh in the Legislative Council that payment of salaries of school teachers were delayed due to non-release of funds by finance department officials.
The minister said funds have been made available for payment of salaries to the school teachers up to March this year.

But salaries were paid up to September or October last year in most of the districts as it took time to sort out wages of the teachers following the government's decision to take contractual teachers on regular payroll, he said.
Official sources said that a committee formed under the

chairmanship of former UGC chairman Prof Arun Nigvekar had been constituted by the HRD ministry last year to evaluate the API regarding the entry point and career advancement of teachers and these changes were made based on its recommendations.
"The UGC has approved the proposed changes in the API mechanism and they will come into effect in a day or two when the notification is issued," officials said.

Last week, while speaking in a debate on the functioning of her ministry in the Rajya Sabha, HRD minister Smriti Irani had indicated that her ministry would soon change the API score criteria.
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Officials said that under the new norms, steps would be taken to ensure that high quality research published in journals of repute is rewarded.
They added that research in regional languages too will be included in the criteria.
Official sources said that a committee formed under the chairmanship of former UGC chairman Prof Arun Nigvekar had been constituted by the HRD ministry last year to evaluate the API regarding the entry point and career advancement of teachers and these changes were made based on its recommendations.

"The UGC has approved the proposed changes in the API mechanism and they will come into effect in a day or two when the notification is issued," official said.
Last week, while speaking in a debate on the functioning of her ministry in the Rajya Sabha, HRD minister Smriti Irani had indicated that her ministry would soon change the API score criteria.
"A teacher's promotion needs to depend on the promotion of his class, that is, when a teacher totally dedicates himself only to the education of the student, does not get involved in extracurricular activity that teacher, in no way, should be penalized," Irani had said in her speech.