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Draconian way of functioning by Principal Cachar College; ACTA gives ultimatum
way2barak, Sept.6: Since the last fortnight, Cachar College has been in the news for certain unpalatable developments centering its Principal, Dr Siddhartha Sankar Nath. The Government of Assam initiated an enquiry into his conduct on the basis of a complaint lodged by the Deputy Commissioner, Cachar and sent the Director of Higher Education (DHE) Assam to Silchar.
Since then, many unlawful activities performed by Dr Nath is gradually coming to surface. As per reports, the highhandedness exhibited by him in a plethora of matters has invited the wrath of the teachers of College College, Silchar. The ACTA Unit of the college sat in an emergent meeting 2 September wherein they noted down a series of allegations against the Principal, Dr Siddhartha Sankar Nath. On the basis of these allegation, the ACTA Unit of the College presented a charter of demands to the Principal giving five days’ time for fulfilment of all their demands. Sources revealed that more than 30 teacher members of ACTA handed over the charter of demands to the Principal on Tuesday.
Apart from the allegation of willful negligence of duty by not registering his attendance in the biometric machine, the issue of appointing one of his 1st cousin brother, Kanchan Nath was also highlighted. It has been alleged that while appointing (temporary) his brother Kanchan Nath as a Grade III staff in the college, the Principal has disobeyed all existing rules and regulations of the Government of Assam.
Exhibiting a damn care attitude, it has been alleged that Principal Nath has entrusted the onus of Accounts section upon his cousin brother working in a purely non-existing temporary post. Questions were raised about this illegal step adopted by the Principal exhibiting his highhandedness. It was even alleged that when scores of unemployed youths of this district are still unemployed, the Principal violating all rules have appointed his brother in his college, who is a resident of Tripura.
Moreover, many other serious allegations like concocting GB resolutions, inflicting harassment upon teachers, writing false and baseless letters to NCC, financial irregularities, delaying the promotion process of teachers, convening GB meeting in full violation of existing norms, harassment of a teacher in the name of inter-disciplinary class etc. were levied against the Principal. Serious charges as that of using the CCTV to monitor the activities of female teachers inside their Departmental cubicles also surfaced. way2barak accessed the minutes of the ACTA meeting where a very serious allegation as regards appointing a Grade IV staff as his Personal Assistant also came to light. This staff was provided a cosy room fitted with air-conditioners and the teachers were made to seek his permission before meeting the Principal. Such procedure, the teachers alleged is against all existing rules of college governance issued by the Higher Education Department of the Govt of Assam.
Allegations against the Principal, Dr. Siddhartha Sankar Nath brought by the Cachar College Unit of ACTA in its Meeting on 2 September 2022:
Since Dr Siddhartha Sankar Nath had joined Cachar College in the post of Principal in October 2019 he has been running the internal administration in utter disregard for all set acts, statutes, rules and guidelines of the Government of Assam in the Higher education Department.
1. Ever since his joining he has rarely attended the College before 1 PM. Everyday College remains without any guardian from Morning to late noon.
2. He has redesignated one Grade IV employee of the College, Sri Subhabrata Das, as Personal Secretary to Principal. He has arranged a well- furnished AC Room for that so called PS to Principal with a nameplate outside the door! What is even more ridiculous and annoying is that teachers have to seek prior appointment from that Grade IV employee- turned- PS to Principal to meet the Principal!
Teachers are deliberately made to sit for hours outside the Principal’s Office even as the Principal is found hobnobbing with the Grade IV staff inside. Nobody dares to ask him as to how a non- gazetted and non- statutory officer appoints a Personal Secretary!
3. Likewise he appointed three Coordinators (Arts, Science, and Commerce) and Coordinator (Finance and accounts) so that they look like Deans and FAO respectively of an Indian university and he appears as the VC of a University! He has thrown all rules, regulations, set practices of College management in a Provincialised College and is managing the show in a dictatorial, vindictive and whimsical manner.
4. Due to his careless and whimsical attitude the NCC Boys wing of the college is going to be disbanded by the concerned authority. In utter disregard to the policies and rules formulated by Govt. of India, UGC, Assam Government and DHE, the Principal did not find the importance of having NCC in an educational institution.
5. He is involved in mental harassment of a young lady Assistant Professor in the Department of Sanskrit of the College, viz, Smt Nayana Goswami. In the name of so called inter- disciplinarity he has asked her to take classes in History and Philosophy. In spite of verbal order from the office of the DHE on the contrary to him, he is still putting pressure on Smt Nayana Goswami to take classes outside her domain of knowledge.
6. In the name of disciplining the teachers (there was no cognizable evidence of indiscipline on the campus in any case) and make them punctual (what they always were) he has unleashed a reign of terror in the College. In utter violation of all the provisions of the Government Notification No. AHE.396/ 2012/46-A, dated 21-12-2012 regarding Punching Machine he is using CCTV footages to do spying on the movement of teachers. In contravention of the relevant order he does not register his attendance in the Biometric Machine. He has never made available to the teachers the print outs of the attendance of the employees on a monthly basis which he is bound to do.
7. The Principal has installed scores of CCTV cameras inside the College campus. This is fine. But what is disturbing is that he has since employed some unauthorized persons to monitor the CCTV footages in his Office Chamber. In turn, the persons monitoring CCTV footage are violating all moral norms by breaking into privacy of female students and teachers. This is sheer sickening to put on record how a Principal remains glued to footages of lady colleagues in confirmation of his deranged mentality. There is no eco system of security of sensitive CCTV data.
8. The College Governing Body is an important institution of the College affairs. This body is supposed to ensure that the College is being managed and administered in accordance with the set rules and guidelines laid down by the Government in the Higher Education Department and the DHE from time to time. But, unfortunately, the GB, Cachar College, much like the Principal, has been thoroughly violating all rules laid down in Assam College Management Rule, 2001(as amended from time to time). For instance, in a recent meeting of the GB dated 30-05-2022, there were 29 members including some non-sanctioned temporary employees of the College present on invitation from the Principal! The GB has now turned to be models of Khap Panchayats where resolutions according to the whims and caprices of the Principal are forcefully written down. And the President, who ruefully does not have any exposure to affairs of higher education, remains a mute spectator to such happenings.
9. The academic environment of the college is being vitiated by the whimsical attitude of the Principal. As per AUS guidelines, the semester classes are to commence closely after completion of end semester examinations. But the Principal, Cachar College notified classes for the even semester in the2021-22Academic Session from 10 June 2022 for Science and Commerce Streamsand17 June 2022 for Arts Stream even though the odd semester examinations were over by 25 May 2022. These forced academic holidays of one-and-a-half month beggars all explanations. As a result, the allotted courses for the even semester could not be completed in due time. Again, there is no notice for the newly admitted 1st semester classes till now. Because of such unreasonable activities of the Principal, students are suffering the most. Admission of students is a very important affair. Cachar College can boast of introducing online system of admission for the first time in the entire Valley. From filling up forms to payment Cachar College admission portal used to provide complete online solution. Such a reputation of the college has been tarnished this year when offline admission system was reintroduced for the reason best known to the Principal. Even after the admission to the TDC closed formally, there are ample evidences of candidates taking admission by various means. The Principal is violating various provisions of the Govt OM on Uniform Policy of Admission of Students in Government and Provincialised Colleges of Assam vide No AHE.250/2014, dated 5 June 2014.
10. Cachar College was reaccredited by NAAC after long 17 years. The IQAC of the college played a pivotal role in the whole process of NAAC accreditation. But, just after the NAAC accreditation process was over, Dr. Nitu Debnath was unceremoniously removed from the post of the Coordinator. The IQAC is now almost malfunctioning and has remained without a coordinator for long eight months.
11.It has come to the notice of the ACTA members that Service Book of a few teachers were taken in his personal custody by the Principal beyond office hours on 1 September 2022 at 7 PM. This is unlawful, unethical and a matter of high concern for the teachers. The members of the ACTA feel that they have a reasonable ground to apprehend that the Service Books could be tempered by the Principal to bring harm to the service records and cause specific problem to those teachers who have just retired or will be retiring soon.
12.The promotion to the higher grade and fixation thereof is the legitimate right of the teachers. It is seen that, since the joining of the Principal the promotion of the teachers is restricted by means of threatening, blackmailing and nepotism. The govt. has set rules with regard to promotion of teachers which the Principal defied and replaced by his own rules. The DPC process was not done even after long months of applying for the promotion. Many cases were pending for months to be sent to govt for fixation without any valid reason.
13.Principal constituted a Research cell for promoting research in the College. But it is observed that, in the name of research, the Principal threatened and put undue pressure only. There was not a single activity of the Research cell during last three years except meeting of the cell where the Principal used to put undue pressure and harassed different members by various means.
14.There is no transparent mechanism of appointment of AOCs in University/ AHSEC Examinations, AZOs in the Evaluation Zone etc.
15.Disbursement of monthly salary is deliberately delayed every month to bring hardship to the teachers in violation of the Government policy of disciplined and regular payment of salary and allowances to employees. 16.The teachers of Cachar College have lost the right to work with dignity and self respect due to the dictatorial attitude and actions of the maniac Principal.
It was on the basis of these allegation that Charter of Demands were prepared and handed over to the Principal, Cachar College by the Cachar College Unit of ACTA with a five days’ ultimatum to stop all kinds of harassment, threatening, blackmailing, nepotism and favouritism. It was also resolved that the full minutes of the meeting dated 2 September, 202 2be sent to the President/ Secretary, ACTA through the President/ Secretary, ACTA, Cachar Zone with a request to take the matter with the DHE and Commissioner/ Secretary, Higher Education in the Government of Assam for redress. It was further resolved unanimously that a proper impartial enquiry be set up against the Principal, Cachar College for the above mentioned allegations along with all the financial, administrative irregularities.
