‘State government should regularise services of guest lecturers’

Former Mangalore University Syndicate member S.R. Harish Acharya called upon the State government to regularise the services of 12,200-odd guest lecturers in Government First Grade Degree and Government Pre University colleges in the State

Former Mangalore University Syndicate member S.R. Harish Acharya on Sunday called upon the State government to regularise the services of 12,200-odd guest lecturers in Government First Grade Degree and Government Pre University colleges in the State.

Talking to reporters in Mangaluru, Mr. Acharya said of the 14,000 lecturers serving in 430 Government First Grade colleges, over 9,000 were guest lecturers. In the 679 Government PU colleges, about 3,200 of the 8,000 lecturers were guest lecturers.

Since 2005, the services of guest lecturers are being illegally taken for a period of 10 months in an academic year. They are being paid a paltry sum as monthly honorarium and these lecturers are devoid of leave, Provident Fund, and other service benefits.

“It is high time State government stops the exploitation of guest lecturers and regularise their services,” Mr. Acharya said. These guest lecturers are highly qualified and experienced teachers and they cannot be treated as ‘second-class’ citizens.

Mr. Acharya said 600 guest lecturers working in Mangalore University College and other affiliated colleges of Mangalore University in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Kodagu districts have not received honorarium for the last three months. They have also not been paid for the evaluation work.

The university has told guest lecturers that it has no funds to make the payment. The State government should intervene forthwith and clear the dues of guest lecturers.

Mr. Acharya said services of guest lecturers in Mangalore University affiliated colleges were taken from October 7, while classes started from August 23 in the present academic year. The guest lecturers are forced to hold extra classes and complete by December 12 the portion for the impending first semester examination. The guest lecturers should be paid additional honorarium for extra classes, he said.