COIMBATORE: Guest lecturers (GLs) working at government arts and science colleges in the state have urged the Higher Education Department to consider providing remuneration for their working days in May.
Although GLs receive no salary for May, they raised this demand after performing exam duties, admission work, and other tasks at the colleges since early May.
A GL at a college in Tiruppur district, on conditions of anonymity, told TNIE that five regular teaching staff and 15 GLs are currently employed.
"At present, semester exams are being conducted for the students, which will conclude by the end of this month. Under these circumstances, five regular teaching staff cannot handle the exam duties as GLs are performing them on a rotation basis. Another GL is stationed at the admission facilitation centre to assist students in applying for courses," he said.
"We have worked seven days on a rotation basis this month and more work is expected for another week. Hence, the Higher Education Department should consider providing remuneration of Rs 1,000 for the days we have worked," he urged.
The principal of a government college in Erode district said, "Although there is no salary, some guest lecturers are working with a service mindset as per request. In reality, GLs are working much more than regular staff in most colleges, except Grade-1 colleges in districts like Chennai and Coimbatore. Without GLs, we cannot handle other tasks such as exam duties, pre and post admission work. So, the DCE should provide remuneration for them," he said.
V Thangaraj, State President of the Tamil Nadu All Government College UGC Qualified Guest Lecturers Association, said, "Out of 183 government colleges, including seven B.Ed colleges, only GLs are working in around 40 colleges which were former constituent colleges of universities in the state apart from principals and heads of departments.'"
He said that not only exam duty, admission work, they are doing administrative works in most the colleges. "Given these circumstances, we have been demanding that the state government provide them with their full monthly salary as they perform their duties in May. Around 8,000 guest lecturers are struggling to make ends meet. We urge the new government to address the demand for May's salary and implement the UGC salary fixation of Rs 50,000 per month," he demanded.
When contacted, a senior official from the higher education department said that the matter is a government decision.
