The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) has threatened to launch a Statewide protest if problems being faced by guest lecturers are not addressed soon.
“We will submit a memorandum to the Higher Education Minister on September 25. If the government does not take any action based on our demands within 15 days, we will start a Statewide protest,” B. Rajashekaramurthy, State secretary of the DYFI, said here on Sunday.
Memorandum
The memorandum was drawn up after a State-level convention here which discussed problems being faced by guest lecturers in the State. “Honorarium is paid annually to guest lecturers. We want the government to pay guest lecturers Rs. 25,000 a month according to the University Grants Commission norms. We also wish that those recruited as guest lecturers are not dropped at the end of the year and instead their services are continued without fresh renewal,” said Mahadevayya Matapade, general secretary of the Karnataka Guest Lecturers Association.
“We want job security for guest lecturers. Their jobs are being threatened by fresh graduates who opt for guest lecturer’s posts after failing to find a suitable job,” Mr. Rajashekaramurthy said.
“More than 10,000 guest lecturers teach at various colleges in the State. There are about 6,000 vacancies for the posts of lecturer in the State and guest lecturers meet the requirements of colleges,” he said. Guest lecturers were relied up on especially in rural areas where there were hardly any permanent lecturers, Mr. Rajashekaramurthy said.
The State-level convention was inaugurated by writer Baragur Ramachandrappa.
