In a significant ruling that brings relief to long-serving academic professionals, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed Panjab University to regularise the services of contractual assistant professors who have completed 12 years of continuous service. This landmark judgment addresses the long-standing demand for job security among temporary teaching staff at one of North India's premier educational institutions.
Court's Strong Stance on Job Security
The High Court bench, comprising Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, delivered this crucial verdict while hearing a petition filed by several contractual faculty members. The court emphasized that denying regularisation to employees who have served for over a decade amounts to exploitation and violates principles of fair labor practice. The judgment specifically noted that these assistant professors have been working under contractual arrangements since 2011, performing duties identical to their permanently appointed colleagues.
Justice Sharma's bench made it clear that the university administration cannot continue to treat these experienced educators as temporary staff when they have devoted a significant portion of their professional lives to the institution. The court observed that continuous service for 12 years establishes a legitimate expectation of permanent employment, especially when the nature of work remains essential to the university's academic functions.
Implementation Timeline and Process
The High Court has set a strict deadline for compliance, directing Panjab University to complete the regularisation process within three months from the date of the order. The university administration must now initiate the necessary administrative procedures to convert the contractual appointments into permanent positions without further delay.
The ruling affects multiple assistant professors across various departments who have been working on repeated short-term contracts despite their extensive service. Many of these educators have expressed relief at the decision, highlighting how the uncertainty of temporary employment had affected their professional and personal lives for years.
Broader Implications for Higher Education
This judgment sets an important precedent for other educational institutions in the region that rely heavily on contractual teaching staff. The court's emphasis on fair treatment of long-serving employees sends a strong message about the need to address the growing trend of temporary appointments in academia.
Legal experts suggest that this decision could influence similar cases pending in other educational institutions across Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh. The ruling aligns with broader judicial trends recognizing the rights of contractual workers who have served extended periods in permanent positions.
The Panjab University administration now faces the task of implementing this directive while managing its budgetary and administrative constraints. However, the court has made it clear that financial considerations cannot override the fundamental rights of employees to job security after years of dedicated service.
This development marks a significant victory for contractual teaching staff in higher education and could potentially reshape employment practices in universities throughout the region, ensuring better job protection for academic professionals who form the backbone of India's education system.
