CHENNAI: Most private engineering colleges continue to withhold teachers’ academic and professional certificates even a week after Anna University and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) issued public notices mandating institutions to return the documents, it is alleged.
The direction came after an Assistant professor of a Chennai-based private college committed suicide after the institution is said to have refused to return his certificates.
Vishnu Kumar*, a former faculty member of a private engineering college at Chembarambakkam, has been fighting to retrieve his certificates since he resigned in July.
“Along with a copy of the public notice issued by AICTE and Anna University, I wrote a requisition to the college, asking them to return my certificates. They have not communicated back,” he rued. Much to his disappointment, the college refused to return the certificates, until he paid a large sum.
AICTE had recently issued a public notice warning colleges not to indulge in the “illegal and unethical” practice of withholding certificates. The notice said it had observed instances of suicide committed by dejected faculty members.
Anna University took it a step further and sent a letter to heads of all affiliated institutions, asking them to submit a status report by December 17, after returning any certificate a college might be holding back.
Samarth*, an assistant professor from a private engineering college in Dindigul, had asked his college authorities whether they will return his certificates by December 17.
“They not only refused to give back my certificates but also said they will get a signed letter from all staff to prove that they are not holding back any documents. We do not want to lose our jobs. So, we will have to sign it, if it comes to it,” he said.
While most colleges have not returned any certificate, a few are willing to do so after teachers give it in writing that they have received their certificates or that they have submitted their certificates voluntarily.
A senior member from the Association of Self-financing Colleges said colleges hold back certificates in order to protect students from “irresponsible” teachers.
“Many teachers quit the college in the middle of the academic year and we are left to scramble for teachers. We have taken no common decision on this issue yet,” the member said.KM Karthik, founder of All India Private College Employees Union, said hardly any college has acted on the circulars.
*Names changed