UGC Librarians are Useless, But Grade Librarians in Aided Colleges are Better than UGC Librarians

[muhammed siyad p s]

UGC Librarians are useless, But grade librarians in aided colleges are better than UGC librarians in all respects. Society for the preservation of academic libraries, New Delhi  has submitted  a report regarding this to Kerala government. They sent it to all aided colleges for report.

What is your opinion?

[Dr. Badan Barman]

Throwing mud on others will not bring anything to them. It will only degrade the value of the letter.

[IMRAN KHAN]

I fully agree with you Barman Saheb.

[IMRAN KHAN]

I couldn't understand the meaning of the term UGC Librarians. If they intend to say that the Librarians selected on the basis of clearing UGC-NET examination, then their statement is quite unfortunate. Actually, the condition of clearing UGC-NET for the post of Librarian has been made after the declaration of the post to be of Academic Cadre. The concerned agency should consider this thing prior to making such an statement.

Dr. Imran Khan

[Siddhartha Shankar Ray]

Dear Janab Muhammed Siyad P.S. Saab,

I have gone through your post and I too feel the same as Dr. Barman. It is quite unfortunate for an Association to come up so harshly with such an issue.

I presume that they meant "UGC Librarians" to those who enjoy the Pay Scales according to UGC Rules. & "Grade Librarians" to those who enjoy Grade Pays which are not prescribed by the UGC. Simply speaking, they have meant Govt & Private educational Institutions and they emphasized that people working in Private or Non-Govt. sectors are more efficient.

I have two points to raise in this perspective.

One; The logic they have highlighted in the case of Govt.funded institutions, does not indicate that the Librarians are useless, rather their finger is pointed towards the administrative authorities.There is no denying however that some of the govt. agencies generally run in a slack pace. while Pvt. organizations generally works faster since they have stricter rules & supervisions. But as I understand from my experience govt. agencies  function in a more "structured way" as laid down by various rules which the Pvt. sector often lacks. And 

Two: Many pvt. sector academic institutions provide UGC pay scales and as per their terminology, these Librarians fall under the category of "UGC Librarians" and as per their analogy they too are to be stamped as 'useless' !!

As such, I personally feel that before coming up openly on this extremely touchy issue, they should have done their 'homework' more elaborately to draw some conclusion and as a professional body they should have come up with some concrete suggestions of improvement for "UGC Librarians".

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta

[muhammed siyad p s]

Dear Respected Sir,

Have you fully read their write up which I scanned and uploaded along with the post?. In it they clearly blamed that those librarians who had higher qualifications do nothing to the academic community when compared to Grade librarians ( promotion got gradually from LGS due to years of experiences in library or having a certificate in LIS years after entry of services). Their base for the blame is that Universities in Kerala did not mention the term " UGC Librarian" and did not assign the duties and responsibilities. So UGC librarians stand outside the university statue.
As per the submission to the government of Kerala by that association government of Kerala demands detailed report from all colleges.
Clearly, it is not a problem between people working in Private or Non-Govt. sectors.
It is the fingertip pointed on the face of UGC qualified librarians in government, aided colleges in Kerala by arguing they are useless, they are a financial burden to the state, they have not been doing anything for the academic community.

[Siddhartha Shankar Ray]

Dear Janab Muhammed Siyad P.S. Saab,

Thanks for your reply. However, before getting into detail, I need to get some clarification about the terms “UGC Librarians” which, I observed, are used by the Society, you & Mr. Sumith A.P. in his post. Using the same terminology in three separate communications gives me the idea that this might be an established /official terminology in Kerala to describe Librarians in “Aided Colleges” though I doubt whether UGC has ever officially used this term for College /University Librarians under its fold! As per the statement of the society, three types of degree Colleges exist in Kerala; (a) Govt. Colleges; (b) Aided Colleges & (c) Private funded Colleges. I presume the Aided Colleges are those who get funds from govt. & UGC and have individual Governing Bodies.

Now, coming to the context of your post & the issue. Yes, I have gone through the English portion of the scanned three pages.    I observed certain anomalies in the statement submitted by the society. In their representation entitled Grading system Approach to Aided college libraries and significance of grade Librarians a comprehensive analysis”   in the very beginning of the first paragraph, they have mentioned that they have given an ‘analytic study’ of mismanagement of Library funds by aided colleges and, never-the-less, they have claimed to provide some guidelines (framed by them) for implementation by the Govt. of Kerala. However, throughout the attached scanned statement, I could not find any such guidelines!!

In the second paragraph, they alleged that aided college principals are not allocating sanctioned funds for major & Minor Research Projects (of UGC) and they concluded the paragraph they urged to recreate posts of “Grade Librarians” by implementing special rules for gradation alike Govt. Colleges.

In the 3^rd. Paragraph, what they mentioned about Govt. Colleges & Aided Colleges are extremely confusing. Honestly speaking, I failed to understand what they intended to mean “…to secure illegal UGC librarian posts”   

Never-the-less, what they mentioned in the 4^th. Paragraph, regarding /recruitment appointment of Principals of Aided Colleges is quite mind boggling!! Because as I understand the UGC has clear rules for recruitment of Librarians & Principals for Colleges under its fold; be they Govt. funded or private funded. However, it seems that the State of Kerala has some different criteria especially as mentioned by Mr. Sumith, A.T. Any recruitment with contravention to UGC’s rules is potentially ‘illegal’ and UGC can ban such colleges or even the universities under which the colleges belong!!

In the 5^th. Paragraph they have mentioned about the statute of the University of Kerala constituted in 1977.  I am not clear what they actually meant to establish! The pay scales qualification & recruitment process for College Librarians (irrespective of adjectives/prefix like Govt, Aided, Private) throughout Pan India is uniform.

In the successive 3three paragraphs they highlighted issues of financial mis-management. But that does not empower any state (or U/Ts) to recruit librarians in degree colleges superseding UGC rules!

I fail to understand how, recruiting the librarians in the way the intended, can effectively help to stop mismanagement of funds! As a whole, I found their argument quite aimless.

Regarding the last paragraph of your response to my post, all I can say that whatever their intentions are, they have failed to establish their argument for the case of librarians.

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta

[muhammed siyad p s]

Thank you so much sir

you did a great job

It is the clear answer to the problem we are facing

I will try o get it to the attention of Kerala Governement

[SUMITH. A. T]

In Kerala no UGC Librarians are directly appointed in Government colleges. There is only posting Librarian as grade IV the higher posts are only appointed by promotion. The qualification for Grade IV Librarian is Tenth Pass and CLISc. The BLIS and MLIS graduates are  considered equal as CLISc holders.

[muhammed siyad p s]

there are direct appointments but limited. The rest of your comment is true

[muhammed siyad p s]

Sorry

It is a relevant question

my explanation to the government include the same answer

I also don't know why the government take this fatherless letter

[muhammed siyad p s]

Dear Sonaj Kailas

Great question

In my explanation to the government I include the same question

I also in doubt why the government took this fatherless letter for clarification!!!!