FEDCUTA delegation meets Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) A FEDCUTA delegation, comprising office bearers of teachers' associations of nine major central universities has met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and conveyed its anguish over the existing working and service conditions of teachers.

A FEDCUTA spokesperson said the delegation expressed its concern over the ''tardy functioning'' of the UGC's Pay Review Committee (PRC), appointed to make recommendations for attracting and retaining talent in higher education.

''Though the Committee was set up in September 2007, it was only after strong intervention by Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh that the PRC reluctantly met the FEDCUTA delegation for the first time in May 2008,'' he said.

The delegation also called on Mr Arjun Singh. It sought the UPA Chairperson and the Union HRD Minister's urgent intervention.

In a memorandum to Ms Gandhi and Mr Arjun Singh, the delegation expressed its dismay over 'no exercise on commensurate faculty planning.' It said if the higher education system has to deliver and accelerate the socio-economic development, the system must attract and retain talent in teaching profession.

''The teaching profession has lately become one of the lowest priority professions. There is strong need to make teaching as one of the priority professions and for this parity in working and service conditions with competing professions is a pre-requisite,'' it added.

The delegation consisted of DUTA and FEDCUTA president Aditya Narayan Misra and FEDCUTA Secretary Tabrez Alam Khan.

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