MADURAI: Even as guest lecturers working in government arts and science colleges in the State are demanding the State government to provide 50 per cent internal reservation while appointing assistant professors in colleges, the teaching faculties in government-aided and self-financing colleges have urged the authorities to fill up the vacancies solely based on marks obtained in the written examination during recruitment.
Minister for Higher Education K Ponmudy recently announced that 4,000 assistant professor vacancies will be filled in government arts and science colleges across the State through the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB), and the selection will be based on marks obtained in written examinations and subsequent interviews. This had led to various debates within the teaching community.
Speaking to TNIE, Tamil Nadu All Government UGC Qualified Guest Lecturer Association President V Thangaraj said around 3,500 UGC-qualified teaching staff have been working as guest lecturers in as many as 163 government arts and science colleges and getting a consolidated pay of Rs 20,000 alone per month for over 15 years now.
"They stuck on to the job believing that their job would get regularised one day. In 2010, former chief minister M Karunanidhi promised to absorb the guest lecturers into the permanent workforce. The previous AIADMK government conducted certificate verification for guest lecturers under G.O.no. 56, but failed to proceed with the appointment process. Most of the guest lecturers are now over the age of 50, and it might be difficult for them to get qualifying marks in the written examination. The TRB's recent recruitment process concerning technical institutions left 1,025 guest lecturers across the State jobless. The same might happen to us," he added.
Thangaraj urged the State government to provide an internal reservation of 50 per cent to these guest lecturers or compensate them for being paid salaries lower than the amount mandated by the UGC.
All India Private Colleges Employees Union (AIPCEU) Founder K M Karthik said engaging guest lecturers for over three years in a college is not advisable. "However, they have been employed at the arts and science colleges for a long time now. The government may form a committee to discuss their issues and maybe consider providing them internal reservation during the selection," he said.
Speaking to TNIE, Government College Teachers Association (GCTA) President T Veeramani said around 2,000 guest lecturers working in government colleges are ineligible for the assistant professor post. Absorbing them just for the sake of it will affect the quality of higher education.
"From 2006 to 2015, assistant professors were appointed through interviews and before that they were recruited through written exams alone. TRB can maybe provide five marks extra for guest lecturers," he said.
Meanwhile, teachers in government-aided and self-financing colleges have demanded the TRB to recruit assistant professors solely based on performance in the exam. Requesting anonymity, a teaching faculty in a self-financing college said, "I completed my MSc Mathematics degree in 2004 and also cleared the NET examination. Again, I attempted the NET exam and secured high marks.
However, during my interview at a government-aided college, without any hesitation, the management asked me to pay them Rs 40 lakh for the job. That amount was much beyond what I could put together. So, if the government appoints assistant professors based on exam marks, a lot of people like me and freshers will get selected," he said.
Association of University Teachers (AUT) President P Thirunavukarasu said awarding marks for interviews should be prohibited as it may pave the way for political interference in the appointment process.
Responding to the issue, an official from the Higher Education Department said the officials concerned are still discussing how to conduct the recruitment, and all demands from the teaching community will be taken into consideration.