'To BE OR Not TO BE!'
"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything” - Alexander Hamilton
Dear AMUCT Members
This dispatch, my first as President of AMUCT comes with warm greetings and acknowledgment of the hope you have collectively and forcefully reposed on my leadership. Events of July 1, 2012 are still fresh in my mind. Totally unexpected, absolutely unprepared and unenthusiastic, I was not ready to accept this immense and demanding responsibility. I was comfortable as the "editor” and was personally motivated to carry on the same responsibility for another year or two. The words of Ragunandan Sir, senior leader of AMUCT, at that moment of crisis turned everything and here I am trying to keep your trust with my competent new team of Office Bearers. I express the deepest appreciation of AMUCT to all the Office Bearers of the preceding team ably lead by Dr Ummappa Poojary and Dr Denis Fernandes for their selfless service during the last two years.
I personally believe that each one of us has a choice "either to be or not to be”. But once we accept the choice "to be”, whatever be the circumstances, there are no excuses. It is a commitment to fulfill. My close association with AMUCT over the years and particularly my experience as the editor of AMUCT Bulletin since 2007 onwards and also of AMUCT website gave me the confidence and courage to shoulder this responsibility. During the last eight months the new team has made an earnest and dedicated effort to carry forward this tradition and live up to your expectations and take the movement to greater heights. A detailed list of these activities is given elsewhere in this bulletin. I must mention that the little we have done is achieved after attending our regular working hours and additional responsibilities in our respective colleges. While I thank all the Office Bearers and Members of Managing Council, I am particularly grateful to the former leaders for their unhindered cooperation and being there any time even with the call at the eleventh hour for the cause of teachers.
Since my taking over as President many progressive developments have taken place. The Central Government’s decision to relax the condition of enhancement of age of superannuation of college teachers for the implementation of the revised pay scales has given hope in obtaining the salary arrears of the revised pay scale that have been pending since 2006. On behalf of AMUCT I gratefully acknowledge the efforts and help of Hon’ble Dr Oscar Fernandes, M.P. and Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee, MHRD, Govt of India for his prompt action in this regard and keen concern for the teaching fraternity. He is also instrumental in organising a meeting with the hon’ble HRD Minister, Govt of India, Dr M M Pallam Raju to make a presentation on the responses of teaching community towards the proposals on Higher Education in the 12th Five year Plan.
The Government of Karnataka has revised the Pension / Family Pension in respect of the College Teachers on 2006 UGC scales of pay who have retired from service/died while in service after 1-1-2006. The salary has been received more or less regularly. We have a progressive minded and highly committed regular new Commissioner Dr N.S. Channappa Gowda IAS at the helm of affairs. A teacher friendly and considerate Dr B.L Bhagyalakshmi has just taken over as Director of Collegiate Education. A new full time, very dynamic, well informed and teacher oriented Joint Director Dr D. R Gaonkar has been posted to our region almost after a gap of one year. Finalisation of guidelines for API based CAS; appointment of Professors and Principals for colleges is getting through. The intellectual role of AMUCT is very much recognised in this process.
Though much has been achieved more remains to be accomplished. Pending placement proposals in spite of our constant efforts, mounting of DA , placement and other arrears, issues related to Ph.D. increments, anomalies of various kinds, filling up of posts, workload related issues and so on. I only assure that constant and sincere efforts are taking place in this direction.
I would like to place on record my heartfelt appreciation to Sri Prabhkar, Joint Director of Mysore Region, who was also officiating as the In- charge JD of Mangalore Region from July 2012 to mid January 2013 for his relentless service and concern for teachers. Special thanks to the President of FUCTAK and the Office Bearers for taking up the issues of AMUCT at DCE Office, Bangalore.
AMUCT Bulletin and AMUCT Website has a new editor. I am glad that Dr Denis Fernandes has taken up the responsibility of editing them. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the support and encouragement of all the former Office Bearers and conveners of various units to me while discharging my duty as the editor of AMUCT Bulletin and the newly launched AMUCT website. In particular, I am grateful to Dr Denis Fernandes and Mrs Priya Shetty and the staff of Assisi Press for their unstinted help in my editing work.
Let us all strengthen AMUCT to strengthen ourselves. The constant struggle by AMUCT, FUCTAK and AIFUCTO has given us – the college teachers- a place of recognition and comfortable living. All this was possible because of the sacrifices made by our former leaders. It is now our duty to continue the same and lead by example as Frederick Douglass says "If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
Long Live AMUCT. Long Live Teachers’ Movement.
Dr Norbert Lobo
President, AMUCT