The recent move of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of allegedly depriving librarians from taking up 'major and minor research projects' has angered the community.  Over 1,200 librarians from various universities and colleges across the country have written to the Union Ministry for Human Resource Development (MHRD) and the UGC chairman to remove the disparity.    

Many of the library staffs from various universities and colleges have expressed their dissatisfaction over the move.

The library and information science professionals have sent a memorandum to the union Minister for HRD, Dr M M Pallam Raju and also to Prof Ved Prakash, Chairman, UGC detailing the disparities in the UGC guidelines for Major and Minor research project.

The memorandum has been signed by 1,216 library and information Science professionals from all over India covering representatives from each state and union territory.

In the memorandum they have appealed to the UGC and MHRD to look into the matter and try to uplift Librarianship in the Country by removing the disparity between teachers and library professionals.

They have contended that the position of assistant librarian, deputy librarian, librarian in university level organizations, and Librarian in College level organizations is at par with that of assistant professor, associate professor and professor in universities and colleges in regards to entry qualification (NET/SLET/SET, Ph.D., API Score, etc.) and pay scale.

They have alleged, “As mentioned in the ‘UGC Research Project for Teachers XII Plan Guidelines’ (2012-2017), only the teaching faculty of library science, physical education, principals and vice chancellors will also be eligible to participate in the scheme, and as referred in University Grants Commission Minor Research Project for Teachers XII Plan Guidelines (2012-2017) “Only the teaching faculty of Library Science, Physical Education will also be eligible to participate in the scheme.”

According to Intekhab Alam Siddiqui, Librarian, AKK New Law Academy, “Librarians are treated as Academic/Teaching Staff by UGC / AICTE. However, in a recent announcement by the UGC, Librarians are deprived of taking Major and Minor research project. This is an injustice to the Library and Information Science professionals.”

“It is disgraceful to find that in the XII Plan, Librarians are excluded from the eligibility to get research projects under the UGC; although they were eligible in the XI Plan. This exclusion is highly demotivating to the library and information science professionals and may affect the whole education system of the country. If the Librarians are debarred from taking Major and Minor research project, the growth and development of the Libraries will face many hurdles,” he alleged.

http://www.indiaeducationreview.com/news/over-1200-librarians-write...

(Source: indiaeducationview.com)