UGC to scrap performance appraisal
By Sruthisagar Yamunan | ENS - CHENNAI
05th November 2012 08:54 AM
In a move that has drawn strong criticism from academics, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to scrap the much-appreciated Performance Based Appraisal System (PBAS) for teacher promotions, a setup brought in just two years ago following wide deliberations.
At the 489th meeting of the UGC held recently, it was decided to accept the recommendations made by a Revisit Committee, which was formed to reassess norms with regard to teacher appointments and promotions framed in the UGC regulations of 2010, following pressure from teacher associations.
Sources in the UGC said that the revisit panel had recommended that the universities be given more say in the way their teachers were assessed.
Therefore, a prescribed format might not serve the purpose.
However, scrapping the PBAS has evoked much criticism from the academia. S P Thyagarajan, who was part of the committee that framed the 2010 regulations, said he was unhappy with the decision that seemed retrograde.
According to him, the whole idea of PBAS was to bring uniformity across the country on appraisal of teaching faculty.
“When we framed the regulations, it was scrutinised and accepted by the MHRD,” he pointed out.
The format prescribed by the UGC for the assessment under the PBAS was based on a set of Academic Performance Indicators under three different categories. “Not just research, the idea was to provide a 360-degree assessment. We also gave enough space for the universities to tinker the format within the framework,” said Thyagarajan.
Academics felt that the UGC had succumbed to pressure from teacher associations, many of which wanted the norms to go.
“By scrapping the Performance Based Appraisal System, the UGC has now pushed the universities back to the older setup, where merit alone was rarely the consideration for promotions,” said Gopalji Malvia, a former professor of the University of Madras.
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Comments(49)
PABS an abstract idea which is to be deliberated on.It seems to be not objective in many aspects.It promoted substandard journals on payment basis with ISBN/ISSN number.Even one person publishes 20-30 journal of different subjects,what a scholar!.Can you imagine a two/three day UGC sponsored International Seminar with hundreds of participants? But it is a reality after PABS. People studied the techniques of being in two or more places at the same time presenting paper in seminar and giving lectures.A great achievement of PABS.Whether ISBN/ISSN number is the indicator of quality of an article?.Doubtful.I am not disgracing the wisdom of learned senior professors.But these are the hard realities to look into
Posted by girish at 11/08/2012 19:27 Reply to this Report abuse
Exactly my thoughts. The whole "business" of garnering points has reached such ridiculous lows that any number of anecdotes can be given of people ready for "anything" to get their holy points. I too am an academic and have seen even wikipedia entries being bandied about in seminars and conferences not talk of 'presenting' plagiarized papers in toto. so please people who talk so much of politics are just kidding. If they are such serious academics they can continue publishing and generating ideas not just doing hackwork for points.
Posted by Chakravarthy at 11/16/2012 14:32 Reply to this Report abuse
if eligibility for lecturer is NET and or to it is Ph.D .Then why five increment to them what about NET candidate? Ph.D is degree . every NET candidate can do Ph.D but every Ph.D candidate cannot qualify that exam. In rular area if you got the lecturer job, then after confirmation , don't take any lectures any practical there must be one increment every year or do research for more increments. Then automatically your subject student number became less then you got more time to do research to get more increments. No one think about student including Higher education departments. As to increase the AGP at different stages, Most of the workshop,seminar or certificate courses was attented or participiate by any professors of any subjectjust to increase his points. IN case of research ( Category III) for that points peoples without doing anything shows results of research.How UG college people do research of quality if no facility for him. Before that first he must have interest to do resea
Posted by Tushar Rajale at 11/11/2012 11:43 Reply to this Report abuse
Why five increments to Ph.D holders when they join as assistant professors? It is necessary because for getting Ph.D in most of the subjects it takes at least five years. For most NET alone is not sufficient to get job as assistant professor. Ph.D is also necessary. In fact the five year period taken for Ph.D should also be considered as research experience for promotion as well as direct recruitment.
Posted by Dr. Kanagaraj Easwaran at 01/01/2013 19:23 Reply to this Report abuse
if eligibility for lecturer is NET and or to it is Ph.D .Then why five increment to them what about NET candidate? Ph.D is degree . every NET candidate can do Ph.D but every Ph.D candidate cannot qualify that exam. In rular area if you got the lecturer job, then after confirmation , don't take any lectures any practical there must be one increment every year or do research for more increments. Then automatically your subject student number became less then you got more time to do research to get more increments. No one think about student including Higher education departments. As to increase the AGP at different stages, Most of the workshop,seminar or certificate courses was attented or participiate by any professors of any subjectjust to increase his points. IN case of research ( Category III) for that points peoples without doing anything shows results of research.How UG college people do research of quality if no facility for him. Before that first he must have interest to do resea
Posted by Tushar Rajale at 11/11/2012 11:44 Reply to this Report abuse
Wel said....every NET candidate can do Ph.D but every Ph.D candidate cannot qualify NET..... Also I want that NET passed candidates must be selected first for lecturership... and if NET qualified is not available then PHD candidate must be seleted... NET must be given first prference.... Also Regarding API scores... it takes years to publishe one paper in high imact factor and u get only 10 to 15 points... but during the same time you can get more than hundred points by presenting papers in national conferences.....
Posted by Basu at 11/16/2012 12:24 Reply to this Report abuse
It is ridiculousness on the part of the UGC to scrap the API Scoring system based on PBAS. UGC has only recommended to the MHRD to scrap it. It is now on the part of the MHRD which has to take decision. All the rational thinkers and supporters of qualitative education must come forward to criticise the UGC in its unwanted move to much appreciated API Scoring system. We urge the President of India to intervene and donot come under the pressure of so called teachers unions which are just playing politics to protect the Non-teachers to get the grades for them.
Posted by Dr. Ashwani Bhalla, Associate Professor, S.C.D Government College Ludhiana at 11/11/2012 16:32 Reply to this Report abuse
Dr Bhalla I want to know who has appreciated it. Who has tested its validity and reliability too. I want also to know whether the people who have developed PBAS have any experience or expertise in developing such a tool evaluation system. The people who oppose PBAS like me oppose it as one of substandard, untested, arbitrary and conjectural framework methodologically. When the Indian universities especially state universities and colleges are understaffed not endowed with adequate library facilities such system will be atrocious. Further, because of its overemphasis on research and publication the main goal of higher education is neglected.
Posted by Dr. Kanagaraj Easwaran at 11/12/2012 18:00 Reply to this Report abuse
I want 2 say if an uniform format (API) is not ok for promotion, then y uniform pay scale for teachers.... a rural poor student needs 2 crack IIT JEE as well as a rich from urban also... which reflects the quality of IIT as we all know. And as far as publishing papers by illegal means is concrn thats can't be a reason to scap API, there r few who do like that. Students study higher to do research,UG students r not school gores. If their teachers'll not do any research then how they'll get motivated.... then what is the sense of studying UG and PG and higher??? To get a job of a teacher only??? a PG/ Phd holder is just like a scientist.
Posted by common responsible citizen of india at 01/02/2013 14:05 Reply to this Report abuse
I welcome the decision of UGC to scrape the new system of assessment of teachers for promotion. When the population of teachers is heterogeneous how uniform system can be applied to all? For example, a science teacher cannot be compared with the law teacher; a teacher in remote rural area cannot be evaluated by applying criteria applied to a teacher in well developed city area. The three categories I, II and III are not exhaustive and gives too much discretion to the Principal/Head of institution. That discretion may be misused by him/her. The category III will diminish the quality of research. It will result in developing the tendencies amongst the teachers to work for points and not for quality. There is a tremendous increase in publishers after June 2010. They have started to publish anything by taking money under the head subscription. The law should discourage and punish bad habits and try to encourage and develop good habits of human beings.
Posted by Dr. Sopan Ivare at 11/13/2012 22:06 Reply to this Report abuse