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There are some unpleasant
developments taking place with regard to the appointments of
teachers in the department of media studies. The University Grant
Commission (UGC) has given some basic guidelines to the
Universities to appointment faculty and this diktat is being
implemented literally, without any logic or reasons attached.
The UGC guideline calls for basic degree in the relevant
discipline, plus qualification of national education test, and a
PhD to be eligibility for teaching position in a given discipline.
The UGC directive also obliquely mentions anyone who has proven
excellence and ability in a given field of study can also be
considered for teaching position in that field.
Now given the nature of Indian education system, where almost a
rot has set up with very poor calibre teaching faculty, manning
the departments, the first part of the UGC guideline is being
rigorously being implemented and second part is over looked
because the first one comes as a easy pretext to push out the
professionals from getting into academic institutions.
This is gross injustice that is going on because any amount
of degrees and certificates can not be substituted for high degree of
professional training in the relevant field of study.
As such there is definitely a requirement of high skilled
professionals in the field of academia who can share knowledge
with the young minds and mould them to become future professional,
even they may not have relevant degree in that discipline.
A case has come to my light where a person who has 15 years of
work experience in the media industry working with some top notch
companies and also having six years of regular teaching experience
in fairly recognized University, is being debarred from the teaching
position in the media disciplines because he does not have the basic degree in
media studies.
This person has done masters in History, qualified NET in history
and went on to do his M.Phil and PhD on a historical topic from
South Asian Studies School of International relations. The time he
was studying some 25 years ago, the media courses were unknown,
and as such had little scope after study.
After finishing his studies this person chose career in journalism
and spent about 15 yrs in that profession. He has won several
awards and has shown high degree of excellence in the field of
media studies. It’s because of his professional excellence; he was
picked up by the University to teach that course.
In an ironical twist, after being six years in the teaching
profession, now he is being debarred from teaching because he does
not have a basic degree in the media field.
This is ridiculous, because in the first place he was considered
for teaching position on the strength of his expertise in media
field and then one fine day he is Banglored, because he does not
have basic degree. There is no weight given to his long work
experience and his hard work over the years is simply discounted.
Now the predicament for this guy is he can not go and look for
teaching position in history, a place where he was some 25 years
ago and he drifted away because he could not find any opportunity
there.
He cannot go to international relation because, its part of
political science and he has his basic degree in history.
He can not go back to media industry even though he has 15 years
of experience there because he has lost all contacts due to being
engaged in teaching assignment for past six years. For him, it’s
really a precarious situation, where to go.
I don't know why institutions are being fetish about the basic
degree in the media field. We all know how degrees can be acquired
in India and how research papers are written and published.
However, can they be substitute to professional experience and
excellence in the field of study? Definitely not, and the person
having good command over the discipline due to his professional
experience is more suitable candidate for teaching then those
having mere degree in that discipline.
This however is not happening in India and lines are being drawn
to push out the media professionals to make way for sub standard
teachers who hardly can make a sense of the complexities of the
media world.
This is ludicrous because the UGC on one hand preaches to adopt
multi- disciplinary approach to teaching and want inter
disciplinary research to be encouraged. However when it comes to
the framing rules it negates its own vision and mission.
A subject like media cannot be handled in a narrow sense of term.
It’s a multi disciplinary subject and requires people from all
streams of education. Such people after having sufficient exposure
in the field of media are well qualified to teach the subject.
It’s a sad commentary on the education system of the country that
discounts professional experience and gives preference pieces of
paper called relevant degrees.
I am sure there may be some window of opportunity for such high
caliber persons teaching media. The UGC guidelines may have some
provision to accommodate such persons and encourage them into
teaching profession.
If that’s not the case, then I think it’s high time that the UGC
may take into consideration proven media experience as basic
qualification for teaching media courses.
I will be grateful if anyone who can throw some light on this
issue and cite relevant rules of the UGC guidelines that can help
this person for teaching position in media studies.
Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be
contacted at syedalimujtaba@yahoo.com
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