Non-sense behind academic excellence

One wonders why the LDF government so decided to hold further talks regarding the hike of retirement age of college teachers when thousands of qualified youngsters are waiting for job outside. Are the teachers, the second class Master’s degree holders of the colleges who entered into service by tonguing the feet of some unscrupulous College managers, are going to make academic excellence of Private Colleges in Kerala? There is no need to open talks again to hold these guys in colleges. Give their pension dues soon and throw them out of the colleges. If the present government is unable to find money for the same then exit from State Governance and hand over the power to persons who able to pay back the benefits of retiring teachers.

The CPI, the RSP and their youth wings should be congratulated for their bold steps in this regard; nevertheless, the senior leaders of both parties have the dubious history backtracking from the original stance in many issues. The unemployed youngsters still keep firm faith in the walk and talk of the youth wings.

Mr. Baby, the Education minister, seeks the LDF committee approval for enhancing the retirement age of college teachers to 58 years and that of university teachers to 62 years. How he could argue like this when the UGC proposal is for 65 years? He may then say about a particular situation prevailing in the State. This situation had been there in 1995 too and that was why the retirement age was fixed 55 then. The same unemployment situation has much augmented now and hence the argument for 58 years of age is unwarranted and baseless. The fear of losing Rs 2000 core UGC assistance for not taking decision before March 31 is not a matter of concern of unemployed youths when they are in complete desolation.

It is wonderful to see why Kerala alone must go in for hike in the retirement age of college teachers when States such as Tamil Nadu had implemented the UGC scheme without doing so. Are there no college teachers in TN who are able to make academic excellence like their counterparts in Kerala? One hopes that the panel discussing the matter should never take a decision curtailing the aspirations of qualified youngsters.

K A Solaman