By Vishu Adhana

New Delhi [India], March 27 (ANI): As many as 89 faculty members at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) are awaiting promotions under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS), with 62 cases pending beyond the stipulated processing period, the Ministry of Education informed Parliament.

Responding to a question by Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha, Minister of State for Education Dr Sukanta Majumdar said, 'As of date, there are 89 cases for CAS promotion at JNU, of which 62 are beyond the stipulated period.'

The ministry attributed the delay to several factors, including incomplete applications, unverified peer-reviewed publications, missing Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APARs), and the unavailability of committee members, particularly external subject experts.

CAS is a system for granting personal promotions to teachers in higher education institutions, enabling them to move from one academic level to a higher one based on their performance and qualifications.

The stipulated time for CAS (Career Advancement Scheme) promotion varies depending on the level of the teacher and their qualifications. Generally, it's 4 years for Assistant Professor to Associate Professor with a PhD, 5 years for Assistant Professor to Associate Professor with an M.Phil/Professional Course, and 6 years for those without a PhD/M.Phil/Professional Course

According to the data shared by the Education Ministry, the pending cases include 33 applications for promotion to Professor (Stage V), 10 for Associate Professor (Stage IV), and 19 for Assistant Professor positions across Stages III and II. Of the delayed cases, 19 are from women and one from a person with a disability (PwD).

'The University has given various reasons for the delay, such as incomplete CAS applications, unverified peer-reviewed publications, applications without mandatory APAR, and unavailability of committee members, including external subject experts,' the ministry stated.

To clear the backlog, JNU has initiated several measures, including convening regular selection committee meetings, sensitising faculty to submit complete applications, and deploying additional staff to speed up verification. 'The University is taking various steps to ensure timely CAS promotions, such as convening regular meetings of the Selection Committee, sensitising faculty to submit complete applications, and deputing additional staff in the section dealing with CAS for timely verification of applications,' the ministry added.

Meanwhile, the JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) launched a protest against the delayed promotions, holding a 24-hour hunger strike in front of SSS-2 on Thursday. The association accused the university administration of arbitrary rejections and selective delays in CAS promotions, driven by 'personal vendetta and victimisation'.

In a statement, JNUTA said, 'Subsequent to the JNUTA delegation's meeting with the Vice Chancellor on February 25, 2025, we submitted the list of long-pending CAS promotions on March 7. However, on March 10, we came to know that the VC had failed to keep her promise to look into the issue of rejection recommendations emanating from selection committees deliberately designed to achieve that end.'

Following this, JNUTA held a protest on March 11 at SSS-2, warning that such 'arbitrary treatment of faculty colleagues' would not be tolerated. The association wrote to the VC again on March 20, seeking an urgent meeting and warning that further delays in resolving issues related to 'arbitrary rejections, selective discrimination in CAS promotions, and illegal extension of probation' would force them to escalate their protests.

JNUTA emphasised that the issue is not just about individual faculty careers but impacts the future of JNU, which was established by an Act of Parliament with the aim of providing quality education to all. The association also highlighted the irony that while the issue of long-pending promotions has been raised in Parliament, the JNU administration has remained unresponsive to their repeated requests. (ANI)