: Finally, there is good news for thousands of guest lecturers. The State government has decided to relax age criteria for guest lecturers while filling vacancies for lecturers’ posts in the first grade government colleges.
Guest lectures, who had obtained doctoral degrees and passed National Entrance Test (NET) and State Level Entrance Test (SLET), are eligible for recruitment, irrespective of their age.
The Higher Education Department has already commenced recruitment of 2,160 lecturers. There will be another drive to recruit 1,500 lecturers, and during this drive, eligible guest lecturers will be absorbed, Higher Education and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T.B. Jayachandra told presspersons here on Friday.
The total number of vacancies of lecturers in the State is 4,274. Vacant posts of principals in colleges is 335.
Since many guest lecturers had crossed the age limit for appointment, the government has decided to consider their seniority and fill the posts. At present, upper age limit is 40, 43 and 45 years for General, OBC and Reserve category candidates, respectively.
A total of 12,971 guest lecturers have been hired in different subjects in more than 410 first grade government colleges. The highest number of guest lecturers are in Hassan district (837) followed by Mysuru (772), Uttara Kannada (740), Tumakuru (686), Shivamogga (649), and Udupi (601). During the 2015-16 academic year, guest lecturers were paid Rs. 9,500 a month. Those who have passed NET and SLET and obtained doctoral degrees were paid Rs. 11,500 a month. Now, they have demanded a monthly salary of Rs. 30,000. Some guest lecturers had been working for 10 to 15 years for a meagre salary.
They are paid for nine months in the academic year and not during vacation months.
