A section of striking guest lecturers, recruited afresh considering their experience in government colleges, have started reporting for duty, while nearly half of the lecturers who were part of the protest have not made it to the new list.
As many as 14,567 guest lecturers were on strike for nearly 45 days since December 10, 2021, demanding regularisation of services. The government enhanced their honorarium, while increasing the working hours, and also began recruitment of guest faculty afresh considering the experience of the applicants, besides other qualifications.
Provisional list
The Department of Collegiate Education has now announced the provisional list of faculty selected and those who cleared the verification of documents at respective colleges are reporting to duty. The counselling was over by January 30.
However, the striking union sees it as an attempt by the State Government to divide the unity of guest lecturers. “Those selected have begun to report for duty. We are making all efforts to begin the protest demanding a one-time settlement for all 14,567 lecturers,” said Yathish Kabbal, president of Hassan district unit of guest lecturers’ coordination committee.
The government offered three points against each year of experience while selecting the candidates. The lecturers who had served for long made it to the list. Besides the service, those lecturers with UGC-prescribed qualifications also got into the list. However, in some subjects, many candidates despite seniority and additional qualification could not make it.
Chetan Kumar, a lecturer in commerce in Hassan with three years of experience, did not get a chance. “Like me, many have missed the chance. We have appealed to the principals of colleges, where we worked earlier, to continue us in service,” he said. The principals are not in a position to oblige their request as there is no direction from the department. As working hours has been increased from eight to 15 hours a week, half of the lecturers have lost the job.
As the selection was at the state level, many lecturers have got colleges far away from their places. A woman lecturer in Hassan, who was working in a college in Hassan taluk, has got eight-hour duty in Dakshina Kannada district. She had to travel 160 km one way to reach the college. “I had no other college nearby during the counselling, than this. It is difficult to get a home for rent at the new place as I have only eight-hour duty for half-honorarium of ₹14,000,” said the lecturer, who wished not to be named.
Continued uncertainty
The association of guest lecturers is keen on continuing the protest involving all members. “Those selected are also not sure how long will they get the salary as the government can cancel their recruitment whenever a permanent faculty is appointed to their post. We want the government to absorb all of us into service. There are lakhs of vacancies in various departments of the government. Let the government appoint all of us to fill those posts”, said Mr. Kabbal.
H. Somashekhar Shimogi, state president of Government First Grade College Guest Lecturers’ State Coordinating Committee, said as per the government’s information over 10,000 lecturers had been selected and of them, more than 7,000 had got 15-hour workload a week.
“We will get the actual figures of how many got selected to the posts once all of them report for duty. Our immediate agenda is to put pressure on the government to accommodate all those who missed the chance. As per the new educational policy, the government should increase teachers’ strength to ensure quality teaching. In many colleges, lecturers are handling more than 100 students in one classroom. If the classes are divided as per NEP, some more lecturers could be accommodated,” he said, adding that a few hundred permanent lecturers will retire this academic year, creating more vacancies.
