MADURAI: Alleging that they were compelled by Government Arts and Science College principals to do exam duty without salary, guest lecturers have urged Chief Minister MK Stalin provide equal pay for equal work as per SC order.
V Thangaraj, All Government UGC Qualified Guest Lecturers Association President told TNIE that every year, guest lecturers are forced to do exam duty without salary for May. Though we have staged various protests, the government has not increased our salaries. Hence, most of the guest lecturers boycott their examination work.
He added that a total of 7,364 guest lecturers are working in 164 Government Arts and Science colleges and seven Education colleges (B.Ed.) in the state. Of this, 5,000 are UGC qualified staff, working for more than 15 years, getting a consolidated salary of Rs 25,000. They have a long pending demand to the government to regularise their employment and also urged CM to pay a UGC salary of Rs 50,000 or Rs 57,700 as per the Supreme Court’s order of equal pay for equal work.
He further said, as per norms, invigilators are given Rs 175 for examination duty for three hours, for 25 students. However, in reality, each invigilator would be put in charge of 60 students and the principal or controller of examination allegedly submit fake bills and collects money from the concerned varsity. A guest lecturer who did not wish to be named said that guest lecturers working in ITI are getting Rs 28,000 with a diploma. Similarly, guest lecturers working in law colleges are getting Rs 30,000 per month, The government either did not follow the UGC’s norms or SC verdict.
Responding to this, an official from the collegiate education department said that he did not receive any information from guest lecturers that they were compelled by principals to do exam duty.
He said, “Invigilation duty is only for five days in May and increasing salary is government’s policy decision.” Though TNIE tried to contact Collegiate Education commissioner E Sundaravalli, she was unavailable.