KUTO May-June 2020 Newsletter

Vol.3, No. 3, May-June 2020; rEach: Teach, Research and Reachout A Newsletter of the Kerala University Teachers Organization (KUTO); Reg. No: TVM/TC/593/2018 A Green Dream coming alive Karyavattom Campus is getting an attention that it has craved for decades. Its Acacia is gradually starting to vanish and paddy field is coming back to life. We congratulate the University authorities, teachers and officers who have worked towards realizing this. We also congratulate the Agriculture Ministry of Govt. of Kerala and the Social Forestry Dept for taking up this project in our Campus (It was the Social Forestry Dept that planted the Acacia and it is heartening to see them correcting their unscientific step). The scheme of the University to provide Agri-fellowships to students is also a very unique and welcome step University land in Aakulam being eyed by WAPCOS We understand from reliable sources that vide letter No WAP/Kerala/2020/0508/438 dated 8 May 2020 , WAPCOS Ltd has requested the Director of Tourism, Dept. of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala, to take steps to transfer the University land in Akkulam for the “Akkulam Development Project”. We had, on earlier occasions protested against attempts to transfer land to Kerala Chalachithra Academy and we are happy that the steps did not proceed. We once again humbly request the authorities to pre-empt any step by Govt. agencies to claim the land. The standing resolution of the senate in this matter may be honoured. KUTO has addressed the Vicechancellor on this matter. കടടട പസസഡനററ എഴതന... ഇനസയള ടലടകക പഴയത ടപടലലയടകസല. പപതതയ ലലലകക ന മപകക സലദക യ മല കതലയ തതരര. ജതവ ലനലടടലപക, ജതവത ടത യപക തതരത ടക പതടതക ണക. ലലലക ടത പക രധലന സർവകലലശലലകളടലലകലലക വവറസതൽ നത നപക ജതവ ടന ര കതടചടപകലനപള ശമതസലടണറ. എലട വവജടനസക വസഷയങളക പതസയ ടലടകലത വസഭടവനക ലചയകയടണറ. നമപകപക അതതൽ പങപ ലചലരണതപണക. നമപകക ടചയകയലൻ കഴതയലതതരപന കലരകയങൾലക പരതമതതതയപളര. നലക ജതവതകപനതക വവറസപകൾ കരടതയപള ഒര ടലടകതടലണനറ ടബടദദലപടണക. അതക നമളതലരടടയലണക പകരപനടതന ലബലദകയവപക. നമടളലകലലക ജതവൻടറ മലതകരമലകല, വവറസതൻടറയപക വലഹകലരലകലക. ഈ ടബട ദദക ന മ ലട ജതവതതതതൻടറ സരകമ ചലനങളതൽ വടര ഉണലകണക. വലസതൻ വരപനതപവടര നമപകക പരസകപരക ടതലടലടത മലസതടക സകസലരതകലനപക കകലലടസടപകലനപക, പകരസകഗതകലനപക പരതശതലതലച മതതയലകര. കഴതയപനതകര ഓൺവലനതലലകക കകലലസപകൾ മലറലക. അങടന നമപകക നമടള വവറസതൽ നതനപക അകറത നതർതലക. നമൾ അകറത നതർതതയലൽ ലപലകപനതലണക ഏതക വവറസപക. നമളപടട ഗലവഷണപദതതകൾ പലതതടനയപക ഈ മഹലമലരത ബട ധസ ചസ ട ണറ . പകരതകലയകതചപക ഫതൽഡക വർകക അടതസലനമലകതയ ഗലവഷണപദതതകൾ. സലലങതതക വതദകയയതലരടട ബദൽ മലർഗങൾ കടണതണക. നമപടട സർവകലലശലലയതടല ഓലരല വതഷയങൾകപക വരലനപള കലലടത സലദകയമലകപനതതൽ ഏടറ സകഭലവന ടചയകയലനപണക . ഓലരല വതഷയവപക അതക കടണതണക. നമപടട ഗലവഷണ വതഷയങളതൽ അതരതതലപള ഭലവനലതക കലരകയങൾകക മപൻഗണന ഉണലകണക. അങടന, ജതവടന സകരകതചപക, സലധലരണ ജതവതതടത സലദകയമലകതയപക നമപകക മപലനലടക ലപലകലക. ടഡട. എസറ . ടപമ, പസസഡനററ University of Kerala retains its position in NIRF The academic community can be proud that the University has continued to more or less maintain its ranking last year and also the top slot at state level in latest NIRF ranking. With enhanced faculty strength, we have good chance of climbing the ladder further in the coming years. Golden achievements in IT For some time now the teaching fraternity has witnessed many initiatives from Dr. K. Satheesh Kumar (Dept. of Futures Studies) and team, each of which has taken the IT-enabling of academics to greater heights. It is very noteworthy that he has not been focused on inauguration Mamankams. Through plain emails he has been announcing excellent initiatives and has been listening and responding to suggestions. We offer hearty congratulations to our fellow teacher for great strides in IT support for the University. Achievements: Our interim Comments We took note of a recent email listing achievements of the present authorities of the University. There are certain factual mentions that we also appreciate. Filling 49 teaching posts is not a small achievement. It’s impact will be felt in the years to come in academic output of University. We congratulate the present authorities who did the recruitment and past authorities for drawing up a reservation roster and having advertised the posts facing all forces which tried to sabotage the process. Many other things in the email are predictions, which we heard during last two budget speeches. We wish and hope that they are realized. At the appropriate time we will take stock these matters and give our summative comments. വവണണ "നനനനണ സനനനമയനലലടത " അധനകകര സമതനകൾ കടനതനനന തനലനന തടനകടന അധനകകരസകനങളനൽ "നനനനണ സനനനമയനലലടത" എനന പറയകൻ നവണന മകതനരണ നനയമനണ നടതന പതനവന തടരന . വനയകമകയ പദതന തയനയകറകകന നനയമപരമകയ നടപടനകൾ പർതനയകകലത കനയകമസന ഡയറകലറ നനയമനചതന ഒര ഉദകഹരണണ. (പഴലയകര DOMTECH കഥയണ ഓർമയനൽ വരന). ഡയറകർമകർ, നജകയനനന ഡയറകറമകർ, ഡയറകനററകൾ ഇവലയകലക നലനലത തലന, പനക ഇവലയകലക വനയകമകയ കകഴപകനടകലട നനയമതനൻലറ പനൻബലനതകലട തലന ആകണണ. ഇങലനലയകലക ആലണങനലണ പതനയ ചമതല ഏൽകന നമലട സഹപനരവർതകർകന എലനലക സഹകരണവണ ഞങൾ വകഗന‌ദകനണ ലചയന. അവർകനതൽസകനങളനൽ ഫലപനരദമകയന പനരവർതകകനള നനയമപരമകയ നടപടനകൾ പർതനയകകന നൽകകതനരനകനതന അവനരകടന ലചയന അനവതനയകയനരനകലമനകണന KUTO യലട അഭനപനരകയണ Woes of Retired Teachers The retired teachers availing UGC rate of pension have not been considered for their revision due in 2016 and are therefore getting the 2006 pension at present. The salary of the currently working teachers are given as per the 2016 revision very recently. However, the pensioners are not considered along with the serving teachers for their due. In fact, the pensioners (teachers) are not getting their pension as per UGC scales compared to other states, including Tamil Nadu, our neighboring state. In the time of this pandemic, the pensioners are also requested to contribute to CM’s disaster relief fund. Indeed most of them have contributed substantially to the relief of suffering people personally at different levels. It would be logical to give the pensioners their due pension and then be asked to contribute the disaster fund. ‘Forward’ or f-Governance ‘f’ comes after ‘e’ and we have moved forward from e-governance to f-governance in our University. A 100+ page order was recently received from the Hon’ble high court by the University. The whole court order including image of the addressed envelope was scanned and forwarded to the HoDs by the Joint Registrar. This is an excellent new model of governance. We can try out this in many areas to reduce expenditure. New UGC regulations, University budget etc. can be directly forwarded to HoDs’ for implementation! This new ‘f”-governance is greatly acceptable to certain sections who realize that it is most safe to forward all incoming documents to HoDs, thereby dumping the responsibility of interpretation also on the as HoDs. The way the court order was treated was not respectful to the court too. In fgovernance, Registrar is also redundant. Campus J.R. is now taking the role of instructing HoDs. Is the new Campus Director listening? Petty Politicking University Teachers have been free to be a member of any organization or remain aloof from any organization too. Organizational affiliations is something that is not relevant to conducting your routine activities. We now see that the Unipolar setup in the University is now bringing in a new culture of coercing young faulty numbers to join a particular organization if they want their basic file processing to be done. What a shame! What terrible sense of organizational culture! Tractor, Computer and on - line Education Some intellectuals always need a target to attack. In the past, tractors and computers were there targets, later they embraced them. Now the whipping boy is On-line Education. Certain intellectuals have expressed concerns about online education in post-covid, new-normals. If you read carefully, you will realize that the concerns are mere eye-wash. Packed inside the concerns is the statement of their subordination to power centers. Salary Cut We had made our stance clear on Salary Challenge/Salary Cut. We will co-operate with authorities on Covid related efforts, but we will not co-operate with coercson and also discrimination in this regard. Two interventions have come from Hon’ble Courts, one striking down the salary cut done without legal validity. After the Govt. brought an ordinance to give the action legal backing, the court upheld the Govt. move for Salary cut. As the matter has been agitated in the courts and settled we do not have any further opinion in this regard. We recall that we gave choice to our members to cooperate or non-corporate with salary challenge in 2018. It remain as a golden decision due to our follow up of the decision and building of a house for a flood victim soon after. We also successfully organized a fundraising musical evening. The struggle KUTO did and the dishonorable “ആൾകടആകനരമണണ" it faced were all worthwhile, because our action of reaching out directly to a flood victim remains our pride. KUTO members with the beneficiary family, in front of the house we handed over in 2019 Rhetoric cannot replace Action KSHEC Post-covid thoughts are dry musings Here are some excerpts from a draft note on post-covid Higher Education from KSHEC. “Critical political economists think that COVID 19-induced downturn precludes recovery of conventional capitalist economy. Humanists imagine the rise of an alternative based on environmental justice, social cooperation, and public trust transcending the centralized state power or global capitalism or barbarism. Some of them anticipate a post-capitalist phase of communities, not rigidly class divided, enjoying equal status at various levels interms of livelihood practices and relations of exchange”. “Independently, the macro is being explored in terms of non-classical mechanics and impact physics through new means of measurement. Combination of the macro and micro has already been there for knowing the macro through extrapolation as in the case of Geology and Cosmology. A better combine can be exemplified through the case of plasma high-energy physics and shockwave hypersonic velocity in space technology. Many science-tech hybrid areas focusing on micro space and milliseconds instead of the macro space and infinite time will gain added significance in higher education curricula”. Thoughts on Research Awards The existing practice of declaring research award in the university requires urgent revision. Since it is application based, many of the faculty members who are eligible for the same may not apply- either due to reluctance or owing to lengthy procedure of applying and getting it signed by the head of the department. The process is unscientific because of the following grounds. Office of the Director, Planning and Development (DPD) has a well-maintained database that keeps all the records of Projects- sanctioned money and year-wise allotments etc. Even for the ranking and accreditation purposes, we do not depend the entries given by the faculty members and departments; rather we simply take it from the DPD (because it is authentic and approved by the competent authorities). Moreover, it requires addition burden for the staff of the university- has to give to the Tapal section, assign numbers, scanning or sending to the concerned section, processing and filing and all. Since all the records of the DPD are crystal clear, the authorities can simply declare the award and ask for clarifications from the departments (only if required). KUTO requests the authorities to do the needful in order to make the system smooth. Suggestions for improving Research 1. Provision should be made to complete Ph.D coursework (consisting of 3 courses of 4 credits each) in a single semester instead of one year. The first paper (Research Methodology) may be offered at the Faculty/Department level; second at the Department level and the third by the research supervisor concerned. Each of the paper should have 80-90 instructional hours. 2. The instructional hours for offering courses for PhD should be counted in the teachers' workload. This will be beneficial for Departments having more than 7 faculty members. This will also enable the Department to engage services of Post-doctoral fellows in teaching. Given the appointment of nearly 50 faculty members, the issue assumes urgent concern. 3. University shall make provision in the PhD regulations for transfer of PhD students from other universities/ colleges. This will enable the newly joined faculty members to transfer their current research scholars to University Departments. 4. An institutional apparatus to facilitate student start-ups, patent filing among teachers/ research scholars and industry-academia linkage may be created. 5. Funds may be earmarked for initiating Student start-up grants for PG students/ Research Scholars in various departments to strengthen applied science in the University and to make research beneficial to the society. Selection should be made through a rigorous process. Each start-up may be put under the joint supervision of faculty/ industry mentor to forge industry- university ties at the bottom (faculty/) level. 6. Steps may be taken to establish a Community Radio Facilitation Centre to supplement the University's current endeavors in online teaching. Issues in Sociology Department KUTO has noted the social media post by a Dalith student of Sociology Department narrating his woes. An amicable resolution of issues may be made based on fact finding, to deliver justice. Right to Service Act: Action yet to be taken The Kerala State Right to Service Act (2012) which came into force with effect from 1.11.2012 through G.O. (P) No. 55/2012/P&ARD dated 27.10.2012 requires all statutory bodies to notify their services to the general public. It provides effective, time-bound redress of grievances of citizens, delivery of services to the public and making government servants liable in case of default. The act has been implemented in CUSAT since 2015. The University of Kerala is yet to do this. KUTO has renewed its earlier request to the University to take urgent steps to discharge its legal obligations at the earliest and ensure that the right of citizens enshrined in this Act is protected. We sincerely feel that the implementation of the act will rejenuvate the University administration and will greatly enhance the quality of service to students and other stake-holders. In the first phase, a selected minimal set of services may be published along with details of application procedure, time limit or providing the service and the first and second appellate authorities. Due consultation with unions should be done before fixing time limits. CSS Website We understand that a comprehensive CSS website is ready for launch. This is a much awaited facility. We heartily congratulate the authorities. KUTO’s Feedback on Post-Covid Proposals Some of the reforms suggested has nothing to do with the on-set of Covid. Some reforms suggested are too general in nature to give any useful feedback. All suggestion under Teaching & Learning are agreeable to us. All suggestions under Research are also agreeable, but they are very general statements and not ready for detailed discussion (“the increase productivity of research Depts”). On curriculum development, OBE/LOCF may be added. Centralizing elective courses is a good idea, but kindly discussion details before implementation. On infrastructure development, all suggestions are welcome. On new Programs, it is requested that proper and detailed planning be done before announcing ding programmes. The suggestions under Human Resource Development are controversial and require detailed discussion based on detailed notes circulated to all. KUTO communicated this before the meeting called by the Honble Pro-VC.