MPs, MLAs who are lecturers, teachers can continue teaching, will be paid salary: UGC

The UGC has also decided that when the MPs or MLAs attend legislative sessions, they will be marked present at their educational institutions as well.

An image on the UGC website. | www.ugc.ac.in

New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to allow MPs and MLAs who are college or university teachers to continue teaching. There are, however, not many teachers among the newly-elected MPs in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

According to a recent decision, these leaders will continue to draw their salaries from their respective higher educational institutions, in addition to their wages as MPs or MLAs. The UGC has also said that when the MPs or MLAs attend legislative sessions, they should be marked present at their educational institutions as well.

The decision was taken by the Modi government on the proposal of a Rajya Sabha committee, which also said that those who wish to teach along with their jobs as MPs or  MLAs should not be given any administrative post in their institutions.

“In order to let them handle both their democratic duties, colleges and universities will be informed that work should be assigned accordingly to these people and heavy workload should not be given to them,” said a senior official in the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

The Rajya Sabha commission, however, has not looked into matters of “Office of Profit” and suggested that the parliamentary secretariat should decide on it. Under Article 102 (1) (a) and 191 (1) (a) of the Constitution, an MP or an MLA is barred from holding a position of office of profit, as it can put them in a position of financial benefit.

Very few teachers this time

An analysis by ThePrint found that among the newly-elected MPs, only eight are associated with the education sector, of whom only two are college lecturers.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha, there were eight practising college teachers, including Sugata Bose, the then MP from Jadavpur, and an overall of 20 people associated with the education sector, either retired college teachers or school teachers.

In the 17^th Lok Sabha, elected in these polls, Satyapal Singh Baghel (BJP), the Agra MP, teaches at a college in the city while Sukanta Majumdar (BJP), the Balurghat MP, teaches at the University of Gour Banga in Malda.

Besides, three, including Sumathy alias Thamizhachi Thangapandian from Chennai South, Lavu Sri Krishna from Narasaraopet and T.R. Paarivendhar of Perambalur are educationists. Jagannath Sarkar from Ranaghat in West Bengal and Rebati Tripura from Tripura East are school teachers.