KU faces allegations of bypassing UGC norms in faculty appointments

SRINAGAR — Serious allegations have emerged against Kashmir University, accusing its administration of circumventing University Grants Commission (UGC) norms to accommodate temporary fellowship awardees as Associate Professors, potentially undermining the integrity of its recruitment process.

Multiple phone calls and emails received by the news agency KNT from concerned candidates and Assistant Professors in the J&K Higher Education Department claim that the university is making concerted efforts to place former Ramalingaswami and Ramanuja Fellows into Associate Professor roles without adhering to standard eligibility and screening procedures.

These fellows, who were initially funded through temporary fellowships from the Department of Biotechnology and the Department of Science and Technology, reportedly continued to receive salaries equivalent to Assistant Professors from the university after their fellowship terms concluded.

In one particular email, the whistleblower alleges that these appointments were made without any eligibility checks, interviews, or public advertisements, directly contravening UGC regulations. To exacerbate the situation, the university administration is said to have issued illegal equivalence certificates. These certificates equate the temporary tenure of research fellows to that of permanent Assistant Professors, thereby making them eligible for promotion to Associate Professor positions.

In February 2024, Kashmir University advertised for Associate Professor positions and is currently in the process of screening applications. The issuance of these equivalence certificates appears to be a deliberate move to ensure the temporary fellows meet the criteria for these roles, potentially at the expense of long-serving, permanent faculty members who have worked across various colleges and universities in J&K.

“This foul play will affect the selection of genuine candidates who have worked hard as permanent faculty for years and have been transferred to all parts of J&K,” one of the candidates stated.

These accusations, if substantiated, represent a significant breach of UGC guidelines and raise serious concerns about the fairness and transparency of the recruitment process at Kashmir University.

The aggrieved candidates are calling for a thorough investigation to ensure adherence to proper norms and to protect the interests of deserving candidates. “Ensuring transparency and fairness in academic appointments is essential to maintain trust and uphold the standards of higher education,” the whistleblower stated.

When contacted by the news agency KNT for his comments on the allegations, Prof. Naseer Iqbal, Registrar of Kashmir University, categorically denied the allegations. “We have more than 10 Ramalingaswami Fellows who have a fellowship for five years. Some time back, the university had established norms to incorporate them into its establishment. This is a scheme that has already been implemented at the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST),” he stated.

Prof. Iqbal clarified that none of the fellows have been formally incorporated into the university’s establishment and are continuing with their temporary fellowships. He added, “Last year, we advertised some Associate Professor positions, which follow a set of UGC regulations concerning eligibility. The screening for these positions has yet to take place. Only once the screening occurs, will we determine each candidate’s experience, research papers, publications, and overall eligibility.”