Guest teachers face uncertainty amid new appointments in state

Time of India

4 days ago

Patna: Recent appointment of assistant professors across various disciplines—based on recommendations from the Bihar State University Service Commission (BSUSC)—has left hundreds of long-serving guest teachers in universities and colleges across the state in an uncertain position.
Services of many of these teachers, who have been teaching for the last six to eight years, have not been renewed citing lack of vacancies. It has sparked widespread frustration and resentment among the qualified teachers.
In protest, several affected guest faculty members at Patna University (PU) recently launched a hunger strike, demanding the renewal of their services against existing vacancies. The strike was called off only after PU authorities agreed to extend the contracts of some faculty members in select subjects.
However, many others remain unaccommodated due to the lack of vacancies in their respective disciplines, according to PU sources.
A guest lecturer from the physics department of Patna Science College expressed concern over the situation. He noted that all guest faculty members meet the University Grants Commission (UGC) eligibility criteria for assistant professors and have been teaching against substantive posts.
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Despite their dedication, their employment remains insecure, subject to abrupt termination at the discretion of university authorities.
Currently, guest faculty members across Bihar's universities are paid an honorarium of Rs1,500 per class, capped at Rs 50,000 per month. This payment is made for only 11 months each year, with a mandatory one-month break before renewal—resulting in the loss of one month's pay.
Additionally, they receive no compensation during summer vacations, further exacerbating their financial instability.
A few months ago, the Bihar Legislative Council's education committee, led by MLC Ram Bachan Roy, recommended that guest faculty members—whose qualifications match those of regular teachers, who were appointed following the reservation roster, and who have served for five to six years—should be allowed to continue teaching until the age of 65, similar to regular faculty.
Echoing this sentiment, Kanhaiya Bahadur Sinha, working president of the federation of university teachers' associations of Bihar (FUTAB), and general secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh, MLC, have urged the chancellor and the state govt to regularise the services of these long-serving guest faculty members.
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