New Delhi: The Pay Review Committee of the University Grants Commission (UGC), headed by Prof. G.K. Chadha, former Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), has recommended an increase of over 70 percent in the pay scales of university and college teachers across the country besides other allowances.

A report on the same was submitted to UGC Chairman S.K. Thorat on Friday. The committee has also recommended that the retirement age of all universities teachers be increased to 65 years and they should selectively be employed up to 70 years.

A new post of a senior professor, for any candidate with 10 years of experience as a professor, has also been recommended by the committee.

Instead of lecturers, assistant professors now will be appointed who will become assistant professor (senior scale) in four years and finally promoted to an assistant professor (selection grade) in five years. All the three will be in the new pay scale of Rs.15,600 to 39,100.

H.C. Narang, member of the Committee said, "Another additional new post is that of Professor of Eminence. This title may be conferred on not more than 10 percent of the total strength of professors in a university. This position will be bestowed on someone who has acquired national and international stature. The criteria for choosing them will be tough. In terms of pay package, professors of eminence and vice-chancellors will be at par (Rs.80,000)".

Prof. Chadha said, "At the college level, the post of a reader will be replaced by associate professor. A new position of senior associate professor has been proposed as a third avenue of promotion for college teachers. We have also asked that the posts of professor should be sanctioned for direct recruitment in colleges for disciplines that have post-graduate teaching. There should be at least one post of professor in such disciplines".

Associate professors and professors will be given the same pay band as that of a university professor but the grade pay will vary.

Talking to the media, Prof. Chadha added, "We have created extra positions at the university and college level and no position has less than 70 percent hike."

Around 5 lakh teachers from 285 universities and 6000 colleges across the country will benefit if the recommendations are implemented.

"The Committee has proposed an annual increment of 3 percent of the basic salary including the basic pay and the grade pay with compounding effect. We have recommended five advance increments instead of the present four to a PhD degree holder at the time of recruitment as an assistant professor", Prof. Chadha further said.

Teachers serving in the North-Eastern regions including Sikkim and Ladakh will be given a special (duty) allowance. All these recommendations will come into effect from January 1, 2006.

A meeting will be held early in the next week to discuss the report submitted by Pay Review Committee and the recommendations on the report will be handed over to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) on October 9.