CHENNAI: During the ongoing academic year, the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department for the first time is set to conduct online general transfer counselling for professors and non-teaching staff in government colleges in the state. But, stakeholders raise questions regarding the timing of the counselling and the necessity for it closer to the upcoming Assembly election this year.
After much deliberation, the State Minister of Higher Education, Govi Chezhiaan, in late December announced general transfer counselling for professors and management staff in government arts and science, polytechnic, engineering colleges and affiliated varsities, except universities across the state.
Not just online counselling, but this is the first time that, higher education department is planning to conduct counselling, which is usually conducted by the Directorate of Technical Education (DoTE) and the department of college education.
The particular date for the counselling, the list of vacancies and the locations are yet to be announced. Also, counselling is usually conducted in April, at the end of the academic year. But not while a semester is ongoing, say professors.
A senior professor of an arts and science college said, "All the staff in the higher education department have been allotted election duty, as per the current job location, and the list of it has already been sent to the Election Commission. If a transfer is initiated, how will staff attend election duty?"
Subsequently, a senior faculty member at the government polytechnic college added, "The counselling notification states that the non-teaching staff can be transferred without intimation or reason, but higher officials can misuse this power to transfer genuine staff. Hence, the higher education minister should reconsider this counselling and directions mentioned in the notification."
Additionally, forceful transfers by the department's higher officials will push staff against the government during elections, argue professors. "It is unclear if the government and minister are aware of the loophole in the counselling process. Teachers and non-teaching staff should be informed and given a choice. More so, the counselling must be postponed till the end of the academic year, "he added.
Also, professors and non-teaching staff question how they will enrol their children in school if the transfer is initiated during the academic year. The general transfer counselling was introduced in line with the similar process being followed by the School Education Department for teachers in government and aided schools.
It is, however, noteworthy that so far, general transfer counselling at the college level has been conducted in an offline mode. Department officials did not respond when contacted.