5,584 guest lecturers in TN yet to get salary since April

Guest lecturers in government arts and science colleges are in the lurch as they allegedly have not been paid for the last five months.
Image used for representational purpose only.
Image used for representational purpose only.

SALEM: Guest lecturers in government arts and science colleges are in the lurch as they allegedly have not been paid for the last five months.

President of Tamil Nadu All Government College UGC Qualified Guest Lecturers Association V Thangaraj said, "A total of 4,084 guest lecturers are working in 108 government colleges. Besides, 1,500 guest lecturers are working in 41 constituent colleges which were recently made government colleges. We receive salary for 11 months, except May. But this year, we have not been paid since April. In May, we handled online classes and participated in the paper evaluation."

"For the 1,500 guest lecturers in 41 former constituent colleges, the authority to disburse salary still remains with the university concerned. Without salary, we are not able to pay house rent, school fees of children and medical expenses. Every year we receive orders to work for 11 months. But this year, we have not received it yet," Thangaraj said.

"If transfer counselling is conducted in April and May, it would be helpful for guest lecturers to join nearby colleges if a vacancy is not available in their present college. Almost more than 50 per cent of guest lecturers are eligible to take up guideship for PhD programmes. Getting a guideship would help us land an assistant professor post," he added.

Ambedkar People's Movement state president A Annadurai said, in Kerala, guest lecturers who are qualified as per UGC norms are paid Rs 43,750 as salary, and in Haryana, they get 53,000. In Tamil Nadu, those working in law colleges receive Rs 30,000. "Guest lecturers in arts and science colleges are paid a paltry `20,000 here. In Tamil Nadu, more than 2,500 guest lecturers meet UGC qualification criteria. Therefore, the State government should give them salaries for 12 months and increase it to `53,000. If funds are the problem, the government must pay them at least Rs 30,000 on par  with law college lecturers. We submitted a petition in this regard to the Chief Minister, Ungal Thoguthiyil Muthalamaichar special division and Higher Education Minister and Secretary, he added.

Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi and Higher Education Secretary D Karthikeyan were not available for comments.

No maternity leave

Tamil Nadu All Government College UGC Qualified Guest Lecturers Association president V Thangaraj said women guest lecturers are still not given maternity leave. "We took this issue to the notice of the National Commission for Women. Government says we are not eligible for maternity leave as we don't work for 12 months. In government engineering colleges, guest lecturers receive Rs 27,000 as monthly salary and they receive it for 12 months," he added.  

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