Irregular appointments

Appointments to public bodies and institutions have always been an area in which corruption, nepotism and political favouritism has been rife. Appointments on merit are cast aside, as are appointments made within established and published protocols and frameworks. These appointments are often made in the face of criticism and evidence that they are irregular, but it makes little difference. This is a form of corruption that has tainted and degraded the quality of the civil service, among others, and institutions of higher education are likewise prone to fits of irregularity in their proceedings.

The Punjab Higher Education Department has — again — directed the vice-chancellor of UET to denotify a range of appointments including the registrar, deputy registrars, the controller of examinations as well as a range of others. The UET has claimed that it is its ‘prerogative’ was being challenged by the Special Departmental Accounts Committee (SDAC) by being asked to withdraw its notifications within 7 days. The SDAC appears to have done its homework saying that the case was analysed at length and advice was also sought from the Secretary (Regulations) Services and General Administration Department. The ruling is that in terms of recruitment the phrase ‘BS17 or above’ indicates that the post being recruited to has a requirement of prior government service, and that private sector experience is discounted.

Cutting away the bureaucratic verbiage the matter is simple — the rules are the rules. The Punjab Higher Education Department is the maker and arbiter of the rules and it is for the bodies under its auspices to abide by them. Those rules may from time to time require revision and there are mechanisms by which that may be done. There has to be a uniform implementation of the rules of recruitment. Universities may not like this but it is not for them to make a universal declaration of independence. We hope for an early resolution.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2017.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.