india

Updated: Mar 04, 2019 08:22 IST

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has recommended that teachers who are members of Parliament or legislative assemblies be allowed to teach and do research when their respective House sessions are on, according to two commission officials familiar with developments.

The higher education regulator held discussions on the matter on a reference from Rajya Sabha regarding the salary and perquisites given to such MPs, one official said. At least two Rajya Sabha MPs — Rakesh Sinha of BJP and Manoj Jha of RJD — are teachers in Delhi University.

According to the recommendations, such teachers may draw their salaries from the university they are teaching in and their allowances from the parliamentary or legislative secretariat. They should be marked “on duty” when they attend House sessions or undertake any parliamentary or legislative assignments.

Moreover, the university/college should appropriately assign their workloads to ensure their teaching assignments do not suffer, the recommendations, which will shortly be placed before the Rajya Sabha secretariat, said.

However, such teachers should not hold any administrative position in the university/ college during their term as MPs/ MLAs so their legislative work does not suffer, the first UGC official said.

According to the second official, the UGC has opted not to go into matters relating to office of profit and suggested that they be looked into and decided by the parliamentary or legislative secretariat.

According to Articles 102(1)(a) and 191(1)(a) of the Constitution, an MP or MLA is barred from holding an office of profit as it can put them in a position to gain a financial benefit.

Two years ago, former PM Manmohan Singh — an RS MP from Assam — had sought clearance from the parliamentary panel on office of profit to accept a teaching offer from Panjab University. The panel gave him clearance, noting that teaching in educational institutions would not attract office of profit provisions.

It also suggested that teachers who wish to take leave of absence during their term as MPs/MLAs may be allowed to do so, but it has to be ensured that they do not lose their seniority or increments.