Anna univ to promote computer scientist, on par with asst prof: HC

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed Anna University to ensure career advancement options for the post of computer scientist by framing proper rules and guidelines.

Petitioner S Bharanidharan moved the Madras High Court seeking a direction to Anna University to include his post “Computer Scientist” under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) with retrospective effect with possession of a PhD increment as per the scheme.

Justice N Satish Kumar observed that just because the petitioner was appointed as a computer scientist he cannot be denied any promotion. The judge directed Anna University to frame necessary rules with the concurrence of the government and the university to promote the petitioner in a suitable post.

The judge also directed the university to take an immediate decision to pay the equivalent pay scale to the petitioner on par with assistant professors without any discrimination and disposed of the petition.

According to the petitioner, he was recruited in 2006 as a computer scientist at Anna University under the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms. Even though he had completed the probation period he was only at Level-10 (stage-1) as per 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) and no promotion was accorded, contended the petitioner.

Senior counsel V Raghavachari appeared for the petitioner. The prolonged deprivation of promotion violates Article 14 of the Constitution of India and the stagnation in the same post offends the dignity of labour, violating Article 21 of the Constitution of India, the senior counsel contended.

Anna University stated in a counter filed by the registrar that there is no promotion avenue for the post of computer scientist. The Vice Chancellor already placed an agenda before the syndicate for the scale of pay for the post of computer scientist on par with assistant professor, the university claimed. But without any government order to treat the post for computer scientist as assistant professor, there is no necessity for the Vice Chancellor to place another Agenda before the Syndicate as claimed by the Petitioner, it was argued.

The counsel for Anna University contended that the computer scientist post comes under non-vacation academic staff, hence there was no promotion avenue for the post and the petitioner does not possess any requisite qualification for the same.

The university also referred to the government order (GO) released in 2000 and stated that computer scientist post does not belong to a teaching position and is not included in the cadre strength of the university. However, the judge observed that the university cannot deny promotion merely by citing a GO which was passed much prior to the petitioner’s appointment as a computer scientist and directed the university to promote the petitioner without any discrimination.