The School Education Department (SED) has started an exhaustive exercise to ascertain the validity of the PG degrees pursued by the in-service teachers over the past years.
In this regard, the administrative department has sought PG degree details of teachers across JK to finalize seniority.
In an official communication, the Director of School Education Kashmir and Jammu division has been asked by the administrative department to provide information regarding the pursuit of postgraduate degrees in various disciplines during service by in-charge lecturers, Masters, and teachers.
“Furnish details of in-charge Lecturers, Masters, Teachers (discipline-wise) having pursued their Post Graduate Degrees in various disciplines during service through regular as well as distance mode and are not fulfilling the conditions as laid down in various Government Orders including that of Government Order No. 940-Edu of 2017,” the official communication reads.
The move comes days after the administrative department issued an order wherein the degrees obtained through distance mode, without seeking proper permission from the competent authorities, were declared invalid.
“The courses offered by the universities are approved by Distance Education Council (DEC), All India Council for Technical Education (Al CTE),” the communication reads.
Notably as per the conditions laid down in Government order number 940 of 2017, the in-service candidates, who have acquired their degree through Distance Mode prior to the issuance of Jammu & Kashmir Private Colleges (Regulation & Control) Rules, 2055, notified vido SRO 330 of 2005 shall be treated as recognized/ valid, provided the Universities/ institutions from which they have obtained their degrees are recognized as per UGC guidelines and are DEC or AICTE approved.
“The courses in science subjects where practicals are part of the curriculum, the concerned University shall certify that the practicals have been conducted from the main campus of the University as envisaged in Clause (VI) of the Government Order No: 252-HE of 2012,” it reads.
The SED has sought the details about the name of the authority who has granted the permission, in case the PG Degree has been pursued through regular mode during service.
“Name of the University from which PG done, details of leaves availed should be provided by the candidate to get included in the seniority list,” the official communication reads.
The department has also sought clear-cut recommendations of the Director stating whether the candidate is eligible for inclusion in seniority and promotion in light of various Government Orders.
“Any specific recommendations of Director School Education are also sought regarding relaxation,” the official communication reads.
A top official informed that the exercise has been started to check the validity of the degrees obtained by the in-service candidates through regular or distance mode.
“Our focus is to ascertain whether the degrees have been pursued after availing proper permission or not. It has nothing to do with the distance mode of education,” the official said.
The exercise is expected to detect the degrees which have been obtained by the in-service candidates without seeking proper permission from the competent authorities in light of the government orders and circulars issued from time to time.
“It is a crackdown on those who have obtained degrees in violation of the government norms and rules. The degree of any such candidate will not be entertained and he’/she will not be included in the seniority or promotion list,” the official said.
The official said the degrees of the in-service candidates will be assessed in line with the conditions as mentioned in the Government order number 940 of 2017.