Sunday 15 September 2013

Inclusion of Librarians in the UGC Major and Minor Research Projects



Dear all,

all of you must be aware that the library professionals are excluded to take major or minor research project from UGC in 12th Plan. It should be taken as a question of ability of library professionals. So we have decided to send a letter with digital signatures to UGC and MHRD. 
Whether you are a librarian in a university or college or whether a teacher in LIS. We all need to get united on this issue. Ignoring this issue may also result many other unfortunate results in coming Pay commission.

Kindly go through the following Google Docs form and put your details below. On September 30, 2013 this form will be sent to the UGC as well as MHRD. 

Thanks and Regards
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Join hands, Join eLibrarianhttps://sites.google.com/site/theelibrarians/

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Pawan R. Agrawal

Registered freelancer: NewGenLib
Academic Councellor: IGNOU and BAOU
Assistant Librarian
Learning Resource Centre (Library)
Silvassa Institute of Higher Learning
Govt. Arts, Commerce and Science CollegeNaroli-Silvassa 
U.T. of Dadra and Nagar Haveli
INDIA- 396235
Ph. 9376135580
http://www.pragrawal.wordpress.comSkype ID: pawanagrawal4u4u




Please click the link below for giving your valuable support for this matter!
 



To,
Prof. Ved Prakash
Chairman
University Grants Commission
New Delhi
Subject: Inclusion of Librarians in the UGC Major and Minor Research Projects
Reference
1. University Grants Commission Research Project for Teachers XII Plan Guidelines (2012-2017). Website: http://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/7716504_12th-plan-guidelines.pdf (Page 3). Quote “Only the teaching faculty of Library Science, Physical Education, Principals and Vice-Chancellors will also be eligible to participate in the scheme.”
2. University Grants Commission Minor Research Project for Teachers XII Plan Guidelines (2012-2017). Website: http://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/6733319_12th-plan-Minor.pdf (Page 2). Quote “Only the teaching faculty of Library Science, Physical Education will also be eligible to participate in the scheme”.
Dear Sir,
With reference to the subject cited above, we want to bring the following points to your kind attention.
Assistant Librarian, Deputy Librarian, Librarian in University level organizations and Librarian in College level organizations are at par with the Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor in Universities and Colleges in regards to entry qualification (NET/SLET/SET, Ph.D., API Score) and pay and cadre in the sixth pay commission.
Librarians are treated as Academic/Teaching Staff by UGC / AICTE and also have the provision of API score, where there is a scope for Major and Minor research projects.
Libraries are very important part of an educational institute and the people working in it are the backbone of an educational institute. Various committees have also cited the importance of libraries and library professionals but in recently published instruction on major and minor research projects (reference 1 and 2 above); the two words "only" and "also" are creating confusion among the Assistant Librarians / Deputy Librarians / Librarians across India. It is very disgraceful to see that in the XII Plan, librarians are excluded from the eligibility to get the research projects; otherwise even they were eligible in the XI Plan. This exclusion is highly demotivating the library and information science professionals and will influence the whole education system in the country. If the Librarians are debarred from taking the Major and Minor research project, we strongly believed that the growth and development of the Libraries will be influenced.
It is the era of inter-disciplinary studies, information explosion and digital deluge. Now students learn more from various kinds of resources. The Librarians deals with entire universe of knowledge and professional librarians are often acknowledged as "instructor of instructors". Only the librarians are looking after the acquisition, classification and supply of written information to the students, faculty and others in any kind of educational institution. If the librarians fail due to wrong policies it will retard the growth of culture and economy and quality education in any type of educational institute.
Hence, it is requested to you to kindly look into the case for the betterment of the Librarianship in the Country and removes the disparity between teachers and library professionals. While the whole world is appreciating the librarianship and the libraries in furthering the education it will not be appropriate to take such a move that would degrade the quality in the whole education system.
With expectation of positive reply and action as soon as possible.
Copy to,
1. Dr. Mangapati Pallan Raju, Minister of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India.
2. Department of Higher Education, Shastri Bha