JUTA writes to Mamata to implement revised UGC pay scale

Jadavpur University Teachers' Association (JUTA) on Saturday wrote a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, seeking her intervention for immediate implementation of revised UGC pay scale.

Universities in four states including West Bengal have "failed to implement the new UGC pay scale for college and university teachers", though it was published two years ago following the revision of pay scale by the 7th Pay Commission, JUTA General Secretary Partha Pratim Roy said, quoting the letter.

The association had taken up the issue with state higher education department earlier but there had been "no development", he said.

JUTA, along with All Bengal University Teachers' Association (ABUTA) and West Bengal College and University Teachers' Association (WBCUTA) had already called for a ceasework on November 19 and 20 to press the issue.

The letter, sent to the chief minister, also mentioned that "two highest-ranked state universities - University of Calcutta and Jadavpur University" were given high QS Global University rankings and the JU was named as 'Institution of Eminence' by UGC empowered expert committee.

All these accolades have been made possible "because of the untiring efforts of teachers in the quest for excellence in higher education", the letter said.

"Despite such recognition, our college and university teachers are among the lowest paid in the country and the state of affairs is not only demeaning for teachers but also makes it near-impossible to attract the best talent from across the nation to teach at West Bengal's institutions of higher education," the letter said.

Expressing hope that Banerjee will take cognizance of the issue and take immediate measures so that teachers "do not suffer in comparison to their peers in other parts of India," the JUTA said.