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)
The race for API for college teachers will be over. They will be back to teaching. I welcome the move.
Posted by Yogesh at 12/18/2012 22:58 Reply to this Report abuse
The API scoring system was nothing but a fraud on the system. Faculty were being rewarded for doing everything except teach. Teaching is not rewarded in the Indian system because quality teaching cannot be quantified. Attending conferences, workshops and symposia and collecting " participation certificates" was all that a teacher was expected to do. Research output was the basis for assessment and so recycled, third rate research was endlessly published and republished. Students were asked to prepare papers for their guides on the basis of which their guides API scores improved. The removal of this fraud called API is the need of the hour.
Posted by Bahu Virupaksha at 12/19/2012 20:31 Reply to this Report abuse
I welcome the Move of UGC to scrap the PBAS based API system. The API had become a bramhastra in the hands of Bhasmasurs of the universities who started coming to colleges for assassment and started demanding money from teachers and ate, and did merry making putting the teachers at their mercy as the API marks were in their hands. The API system was misused by principals and university officials for exploiting the teachers. I feel that retired teachers like Tyagarajan and Malvia were jealous of the sixthth pay being drawn by teachers and therefore to seek revenge they devised the API to fill the bellies of the gluttonous Joint directors who used t5o come for placements and harass the teachers. Hats off to Prof Mishra for saving the teachers from the clutches of these unscupulous elements.
Posted by Dr.Ashalata Raman. at 12/29/2012 08:30 Reply to this Report abuse
due to the API system teachers were getting aloof from teaching.people were indulging in plagiarism and the undeserving were getting promotions.Particularly the teachers of rural areas were worst affected.API did not improve the quality or attitude of teachers but the pockets of publishers became heavy.
Posted by Dr.G.L. Pedhiwal at 12/29/2012 08:52 Reply to this Report abuse
The UGC has scraped the performance Appraisal System is unfortunate and unwanted. There is no uniformity in the state university staff selection procedures, further the system is corrupted. An unhealthy practices are followed in all official selection process. S o there is very meager chance for merit in Indian universities. How we are going to establish world class university in India? If so when?
Posted by Raju.M at 12/29/2012 22:02 Reply to this Report abuse