Over 950 Scholars and Teachers Oppose Draft Assam College Rules in Open Letter

In a significant development, over 950 research scholars, students, and educators have signed an open letter addressed to Assam’s Education Minister, Dr. Ranoj Pegu, expressing strong opposition to the draft Assam College Employees (Provincialisation) Rules, 2024.

The open letter, initially drafted by a group of research scholars from North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, was made public to gather support from the academic community across the state. Within a short period, the letter garnered signatures from 950+ individuals, including research scholars, assistant professors, postgraduate students, and academics who voiced their concerns over the draft rules.

The signatories of the letter have raised serious concerns about what they call discriminatory provisions in the proposed recruitment guidelines. According to the letter, the draft rules prioritize general aptitude and current affairs, allocating only a meagre five marks to domain knowledge in the screening test. This, the letter argues, equates the recruitment process to administrative exams, overlooking the years of research, teaching experience, and scholarly contributions made by candidates.

Notable academicians have also joined in supporting the letter, including Dr. Hiren Gohain, a renowned social scientist, as well as academics like Dr. Indranee Dutta, Dr. Manorama Sharma, Dr. Apurba Baruah, Dr. Bhupen Sarmah, and former CSIR-NEIST scientists Dr. Pinaki Sengupta and Nirmal Ch. Gogoi. Other prominent citizens, such as Gunadhar Gogoi, retired Principal of GNDG Commerce College, and Abdus Salam, retired Vice Principal of Dhing College, have also endorsed the letter.

The signatories have demanded the immediate withdrawal or revision of the draft rules. They have called for the recruitment process to be aligned with UGC standards and have urged the government to incorporate weightage for domain knowledge, academic achievements, research work, and teaching experience. They also seek public consultations before finalizing the recruitment guidelines.

The issue has sparked a debate on the future of higher education recruitment in Assam, with many arguing that the current draft rules do not adequately reflect the expertise and dedication required in the academic profession.