Tribune News Service

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, November 4

Now, teachers employed at government colleges across the state will have to tell their health status while filing annual confidential reports (ACR) as the Department of Higher Education (DHE) has added a new column of “health status” to the online proforma for the ACR.

Make them aware of their health

The move aimed at making college teachers aware of their health. Vijendra Kumar, Addl Chief Secy, Higher Education

The development has left the teachers in a fix as the DHE has neither issued any guideline in this respect nor made it clear whether the teachers are to write the “health status” on their own or they have to get a health certificate made from the district authorities or any doctor. The DHE has not also divulged the purpose behind seeking information on health this time.

Interestingly, the issue came to the fore when the college teachers started filing their ACRs online and found a new column of “health status” in it.

Dr Priyanka Verma, assistant professor, Government College, Meham, said teachers had been waiting for the guidelines from the state headquarters on the submission of “health status” as the college principals were also unaware of it.

“The authorities should issue guidelines on it at the earliest so that the teachers can file their ACR on time. Assistant/associate professors of all government colleges in the state have been asked to submit the ACR for the session 2021-22 by November 20,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Haryana Government College Teachers’ Association (HGCTA), an elected body of college teachers, has written to the DHE asking it to clear the purpose behind the move.

“The DHE has not clarified the purpose behind asking about the “health status”. Moreover, it should also answer these questions; Is there any role of the health status in evaluating the teachers’ performance? Has any change been made in the service rules according to which the teachers may be retired before time on the basis of their health report? Why have young teachers been asked to tell about their “health status”?” said Dr Amit Chaudhary, president, HGCTA.

Chaudhary said, “Some principals have recently been re-employed after superannuation without health examination, which raises a question mark over the move. We have raised our concerns over the issue and have demanded clarification over the same.”

On being contacted, Rajeev Rattan, Director, Higher Education, said he was out of the state due to election duty while Vijendra Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Higher Education, said the move aimed at making college teachers aware of their health.

Issue came to fore while filing ACRs online

The issue came to the fore when college teachers started filing their annual confidential reports (ACRs) online and found a new column of “health status”