BENGALURU: The evaluation work of the recently concluded second-year pre-university course examinations is facing a roadblock even before it started.Lecturers have decided to boycott the evaluation work and are staging a protest from Wednesday. The Karnataka state pre-university college teachers association has said that as their demands are not met by the government in the 6th pay commission recommendations, they have decided to boycott the evaluation.
The department of pre-university education had decided to begin evaluation work from March 22 and announce results by the end of April. “If we don’t protest, the government will not take our demands seriously,” said a member of the association.According to the association, the PU college teachers were supposed to get a hiked salary of Rs 53,100, but as per the 6th pay commission recommendation, they received only Rs 43,000.
However, Primary and Secondary Education minister Tanveer Sait is confident of convincing the lecturers. At a press conference on Tuesday, he said, “I have already written to the 6th pay commission to consider the pre-university teachers’ grievances in the second volume of recommendations. They will be submitting it to the government soon.”
"I am convening a meeting with them to discuss the same. I hope they will consider our request and attend evaluation work keeping the interest of students in mind,” the minister said.
Plan B
The department is also working out a plan B if the lecturers fail to attend evaluation work. According to department officials, in such a case, the department has to act as per the amendments brought to the Karnataka Education Act, where those who boycott evaluation work will have to face imprisonment for five years and penalty up to Rs 5 lakh.