CHENNAI: Hundreds of guest lecturers of government Arts and Science colleges were detained by the police on Monday when they tried to take a rally from Marina to reach Secretariat for staging a demonstration, demanding the government to regularise their employment and provide salary as per the UGC recommendations.
They claimed that at present around 7,800 guest lecturers were working in many government arts, science and education colleges with a meagre salary of Rs 25,000 (lowest in the country) sans benefits including PF.
V Thangaraj, state president, All Tamil Nadu Government Colleges UGC-qualified Honorary Lecturers’ Association claimed that even Madras High Court had also instructed the Higher Education Department to consider providing salaries as per UGC recommendation of minimum Rs 50,000 per month. “Though the State government informed the court that the guest lecturers were not selected as per UGC rules, as per the qualification rule, we all have PhD degrees with required experience,” he added.
Meanwhile, protesters also claimed that in Haryana, where ‘equal pay for equal work’ is followed, the guest lecturers are paid Rs 57,700 followed by Delhi and Punjab, which pay Rs 50,000 respectively. “Even in Puducherry, the payment is Rs 40,000/month,” Thangaraj pointed out.