CHENNAI: As many as 328 Teaching Fellows (TFs) of Anna University's constituent colleges and regional campuses have been urging the university management and the Tamil Nadu government to reinstate their position after they were abruptly terminated in January.
The teaching fellows speaking to DT Next express anger and frustration over the administration's decision to remove them without consideration of their 10 to 15 years of service. Pointing out that most are above 40 years, they argue that their chances of landing a better job elsewhere are slim to none.
Anna University has 13 constituent colleges, located at Arni, Kancheepuram, Tindivanam, Villupuram, Panruti, Ariyalur, Tiruchy, Pattukkottai, Dindigul, Tirukkuvalai, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi and Nagercoil and three regional campuses at Madurai, Coimbatore, and Tirunelveli. In these institutions, 328 teaching fellows had worked as temporary assistant professors for over a decade.
"We have been performing various academic duties for the development of colleges and the progress of students. According to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) regulations, we joined the job through proper qualifications and interviews. Many among us have completed a PhD, while others are currently pursuing a PhD at Anna University," noted a teaching fellow of a constituent college.
They further claimed that though they perform duties equivalent to permanent assistant professors, they face disparity in benefits. "We receive only one casual leave per month, no medical leave, no employee provident fund (EPF) and no pension or other employee benefits," they noted.
"According to AICTE rules, there is no post called 'Teaching Fellow.' The recognised position is Assistant Professor (contractual) with a salary of Rs 57,700/month. However, we were paid only Rs 27,000/Rs 30,000/month," added another TF, alleging that the administration has used the designation TF to avoid paying the AICTE salary.
"It is further noteworthy that many university officials and permanent faculty members currently working once worked as temporary staff like us," he added.
In such a backdrop, educationists and other stakeholders demand the immediate reinstatement of teaching fellows, job regularisation, and equal pay for the professors working in government-aided colleges on par with state-run institutions.
State Platform for Common School System – Tamil Nadu (SPCSS-TN), general secretary, PB Prince Gajendra Babu, said, "Teaching is a Profession. A teacher, whether paid or not, is expected to teach the students what the curriculum expects them to learn. No university will appoint an incompetent person and allow an individual to continue if the person is unable to deliver what was expected of them. It is a great injustice when such teachers are terminated from service after providing their services for more than a decade."
Meanwhile, the Association of University Teachers, Tamil Nadu (AUT) president, J Gandhiraj, noted that the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) promotion benefits, along with their salary arrears provided for government college teachers, have not been fully provided to teachers of government-aided colleges.
"In solidarity, government employees, teachers, officials, students, workers, and members of the public have sent emails to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister through a QR code/link campaign," he added.
Meanwhile, Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa and Alagappa University Teachers' Association (MUTA) president PK Periasamy Raja said, "With non-implementation of CAS promotion benefits, teachers are unable to supervise additional research scholars, as per UGC regulations. As a result, in the last three years, nearly 1,000 economically disadvantaged rural students have lost the opportunity to obtain PhD degrees. This is a serious loss for society and the academic community."