BENGALURU: Teachers of all government and aided degree colleges across the state will compulsorily have to declare their salary details on the official website of the Department of Collegiate Education.
Principals of the colleges concerned have been entrusted with the responsibility of making sure the faculty members do it at the earliest. Confirming this to Express, Additional Director of the department K P Ragotham said, “As per the Right to Information Act, it is must for every employee to announce their income in public domain. But many are not following this. Hence, we have directed the principals to make the details available.”
Teachers have fixed pay scales, but when it comes to increments, promotions and PhD incentives, their actual pay varies. “It is a first communication for voluntary disclosure. If teachers fails to provide the information or if principals fail to upload the details, then the department will initiate action,” Ragotham said.
The department also decided to calculate teachers’ salaries on hourly basis and upload it on the website. This is to make them more accountable towards their classes. For example, if a teacher is irregular to college and not teaching properly, students can question him/her in the public domain using the link given. “If a lecturer is earning `4,000 per day and not taking classes properly, then students can raise their voice,” explained department official.
However, this rule will not apply for guest faculty members working with government degree colleges in the state. According to officials, their salaris are fixed and there will not be any variation.
Recently, the department had introduced mandatory video recording of classes (teaching) and also issued a circular regarding introduction of dress code for teaching and non-teaching staff, which irked the faculty members.
“We are public servants and we will not say no to declaring our salaries. But calculating daily salary and putting it on the website is not acceptable. If students have issues, it should be taken up through proper channels. Each college will have a principal to handle such issues and if it is not solved at that level, it can be taken up at a higher level,” said an office-bearer of Karnataka Government College Teachers Association.