How do you rate the quality of teachers in the state?
There are good and committed teachers in our universities and Panjab University has got teachers who are the real assets of the country. A few of them left their lucrative and high profile jobs to join this noble profession.

But it is believed not much of young talent is coming into the profession. Why?
That is right and the reasons are quite apparent. It is because the government has been slow to act on the demands of teachers and provide them with much needed hike in their salaries. Not only this, teachers get nothing in the name of incentives. The young talent will come forward only when they find it as a career which respects their talent and gives good remuneration. In a nutshell, aspiring teachers need financial stability and peace.

The teachers of the five universities are already up in arms relating to the implementation of the revised pay structure as per the notification of MHRD. Will the government relent?
The state government will have to choose what is in favour of the teachers. They do understand that we need good teachers and need to keep the existing teachers happy. It is just a matter of acting on what they know are genuine demands of Punjab Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (PFUCTO). Since the UGC has recommended hiked pay scales for lecturers and professors, the government will have to implement the MHRD notification sooner than later because the issue cannot gather dust for long.