Latest news with #AllGovernmentUGCQualifiedGuestLecturersAssociation
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Tamil Nadu arts colleges get 15K more seats, but only 252 additional guest lecturers
CHENNAI: Fulfilling its promise made in this year's budget that 15,000 more seats will be created in government arts and science colleges, the Tamil Nadu government's Higher Education (HE) department issued an order last week to introduce 252 new courses in 100 colleges across TN. However, the department has asked the Collegiate Education Commissioner (CEC) to engage only temporary guest lecturers (GLs) to cater to the increased number of courses and students. Moreover, it has sanctioned less than 50% of the number of GLs sought by the CEC. As per the order, the proposal sent by the CEC to the government said that 558 GLs will be required to teach these 252 courses for the first-year students who join these courses in both first and second shifts in colleges. Consequently, the CEC has sought Rs 13.95 crore for the 2025-26 academic year to pay salaries to these GLs at the rate of Rs 25,000 per month. (GLs are not paid salaries during the two-month vacation period). However, without explicitly mentioning any reason, the order sanctioned approval for engaging 252 GLs and allotted Rs 6.3 crore for their salaries. 'CEC had asked for money for the total number of staff needed, but the department has allocated lesser funds because they want to manage gap with the available staff. This is unfair and it will affect the quality of teaching also,' said V Thangaraj, president, All Government UGC Qualified Guest Lecturers Association, which has been demanding to increase salary of GLs for long. Of the 15,354 seats added in total, 2,008 have been added by incremental increase of seats in 173 existing courses in 29 government colleges.
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Given invigilator assignment in May without salary, say guest lecturers
The assignment of exam invigilator duty to guest lecturers in May when they do not get any salary has raised concern among educators. Guest lecturers said the exam cells of some government colleges were pressuring them to do invigilator duty. 'I was assigned four days of exam duty in April, of which I have completed three, and deputed the last one to another guest lecturer staying closer to the campus. We are paid ₹150 per exam day, but I have to spend at least ₹110 on the commute to the college in Aravakurichi from my home in Paramathi Velur. The college exam cell staff have said that any person I depute would be taken on for additional duties and I would still have to carry out the invigilation duty myself,' a Tamil guest lecturer, requesting anonymity, told The Hindu. A guest lecturer working in a government college in Lalgudi said he had been assigned five days of exam duty, and would have to attend despite the paltry pay. 'Private colleges in Tiruchi offer invigilators ₹250 per exam. There are at least 200 guest lecturers in Tiruchi district's government colleges who face this precarious situation every year,' he said. Some colleges were enlisting the services of guest lecturers to help out with the admissions process in May, added the lecturer. 'Besides taking care of administrative work, we are expected to canvass for new students. This is unfair because the same job could be done by regular staff, who are paid their full emoluments,' he said. Guest lecturers receive a monthly salary of ₹25,000 for 11 months. The pay cheque for the exam invigilation is issued several months after May. In an official release, V. Thangaraj, president, All Government UGC Qualified Guest Lecturers Association, said: 'Exams are conducted in at least 75% of the government colleges in Tamil Nadu every year. However, it is regrettable that guest lecturers, who receive salary only for 11 months, are forced to work as invigilators in May every year by the Directorate of Collegiate Education, even though they are not paid a regular salary. We urge the authorities to rectify this situation.'
