Three-year deadline proposed for guest faculty to obtain UGC qualifications
Bengaluru: Officials from the Higher Education Department have reportedly suggested a three-year deadline for guest lecturers at government first-grade colleges to obtain the qualifications prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The discussions, which took place during a meeting between the Higher Education and Law departments, also included the suggestion of extending the tenure of guest lecturers for the current academic year, as reported by Deccan Herald on Sunday.
The move comes in response to a High Court ruling that mandates the government appoint only those lecturers who possess either a PhD or have cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET) or Karnataka State Eligibility Test (KSET). This order has left the future of more than 5,500 guest lecturers working at government first-grade colleges in uncertainty, as they do not meet the required qualifications.
An official from the Higher Education Department explained that the proposed three-year window aims to give these lecturers time to meet the necessary educational criteria, while also considering extending their service on humanitarian grounds.
“Many of them have been working for years for a small honorarium, but do not have the qualifications prescribed by UGC. We are trying to find a solution that is in keeping with the High Court’s order. The CM will hold discussions on this issue, and a decision will be taken thereafter,” DH quoted the official as saying.
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'Contract killing' plot busted in Thane; victim's brother among four held
Thane (PTI): The Thane police have uncovered a "contract killing" plot and arrested four persons, including the victim's younger brother, who allegedly hired the assailants and lodged the complaint to mislead investigators and hide his role in the murder, officials said on Sunday.
The victim, identified as Paresh Tolaram Patil (40), was hacked to death on May 12 over a property dispute, and his brother allegedly paid Rs 10 lakh to the contract killers, an official said.
The same day, Naresh Tolaram Patil (37), an auto-rickshaw driver residing in the Bhiwandi area of Maharashtra's Thane district, lodged a police complaint alleging that his elder brother Paresh had been murdered by unidentified persons.
According to Naresh, his brother was riding his motorcycle to work at Vasai in neighbouring Palghar district when the unidentified assailants intercepted him and assaulted him with sharp weapons, in-charge Superintendent of Police Anmol Mittal said.
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Following the complaint, the Ganeshpuri police registered a case of murder on May 13.
The investigation teams examined several CCTV recordings along the suspected escape routes and used advanced technical surveillance.
The police then traced the registration plate of a vehicle allegedly used by the assailants, leading to the arrest of three alleged contract killers -- Rakesh Bhagwan Patil (37), Premjit Madhukar Gharat (38), and Daksh Bhanukant Bhoir (24) -- from Palghar, the official said.
"During intense interrogation, the three persons confessed to their involvement in the killing. They revealed that the plot was masterminded by the victim's brother, Naresh Patil, who had lodged the initial police complaint to misguide the law enforcement agencies," he said.
According to the official, Naresh Patil confessed to hatching the conspiracy due to an ongoing property dispute with his elder brother and that he had offered Rs 10 lakh to the three accused to eliminate Paresh.
Naresh Patil has also been arrested, and a further probe is underway into the case, they added.
