LUCKNOW, Aug. 12 -- Amid the dispute over uncredited Employee Provident Fund (EPF) contributions at Lucknow University, an official notification outlining the institution's policy on employer contributions for employees of self-financed courses was issued on Tuesday. The policy update follows a formal complaint lodged by over 70 contractual faculty members and non-teaching staff from the Faculty of Engineering and Technology directly to UP CM Yogi Adityanath, accusing the university administration of financial negligence and exploitation. An official document shared by Lucknow University official spokesperson Prof Mukul Srivastava revealed that the university has formally adopted recommendations made by its Finance Committee on June 23, which the Executive Council subsequently approved on July 27. The notification clarifies that employer contributions for employees earning more than Rs 15,000 per month are purely voluntary under statutory guidelines, rather than mandatory. Under the approved guidelines, the employer's maximum legal liability is capped at Rs 1,800 per month for staff members who possess a UAN. The university's order also stated that no EPF will be deposited for employees earning above Rs 15,000 whose UAN numbers have not been generated, and the creation of new UANs for employees in this income bracket will be stopped entirely. For deductions made prior to Lucknow University's EPF registration date on April 4, 2023, or from staff members without an active UAN, the administration resolved to refund the deducted amounts directly back to the employees instead of depositing them into the central EPF pool. Additionally, the notification specifies that for any newly appointed or re-appointed contractual staff earning over Rs 15,000 per month in the future, no EPF deductions will be made moving forward. htc...