Latest news with #UGCRegulations2018
New Indian Express
7 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Guest lecturers across Karnataka seek regularisation after new hiring order
BENGALURU: Guest lecturers across Karnataka are raising concerns over the Department of Collegiate Education's recent notification inviting new applications for the 2025–26 academic year. Many lecturers, who have been serving in the same roles for several years, say they are being pushed aside, despite their long-standing service to higher education. According to members of the State First Grade Colleges Guest Lecturers' Welfare Association, the department has issued recruitment calls 4-5 times in the 2024-25 academic year alone, ignoring existing lecturers who have already proven their merit. They argue that the state government is justifying fresh appointments, even though the Supreme Court has allowed regularisation of long-serving temporary staff in various other rulings. 'These appointments are happening at the cost of experienced lecturers who have been working tirelessly for years,' said Santhosh NS, secretary of the association. 'Instead of recognising our service, the department is treating us as replaceable,' he added Guest lecturers say they are performing duties equivalent to full-time staff, often working 15-18 hours per week, yet are paid a fraction of an assistant professor's salary. 'As per UGC Regulations 2018 and 2019, guest lecturers must be appointed on the same basis as full-time faculty, and their remuneration should reflect their workload - up to Rs 1,500 per hour and Rs 50,000 per month,' stated the Association. 'We are 10,300 guest lecturers doing the work of full-time staff, but without recognition or security. The system is built on our backs, yet we remain invisible. We were selected through interviews and merit lists. We have been working for over 15-20 years. If this isn't eligibility for regularisation, what is?' questioned Lokesh PC, president of the association. 'When Siddaramaiah was the Leader of the Opposition, he fought for regularising guest lecturers. But as CM, he is ignoring their service and sending many home,' the association stated. Citing examples from other states where long-serving guest lecturers have been retained, regardless of UGC qualifications, the association called on the Karnataka Government to prioritise experience and loyalty over rigid formal criteria. The association has demanded that the latest notification, issued on June 25, be withdrawn and that currently serving lecturers be allowed to continue in their roles, with new appointments made only for vacant positions.
New Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Teachers' past services to be considered for benefits
NEW DELHI: The decision to take a stand on the counting of past services for university teachers was finally taken up by the Vice Chancellor in an Executive Council meeting held on Saturday. The Vice Chancellor approved a proposal to send a representation from DU to the University Grants Commission (UGC), the first demand of which was that all past services of temporary and ad-hoc teachers be considered for promotion and retirement benefits. Dr Mithuraaj Dhusiya, an EC member, made an appeal to the EC to constitute a standing committee which can draft a report for the consideration of the UGC. In his letter, he demanded that the past service of teachers be considered for promotions and retirement benefits, as only those teachers with 25 years of service will be eligible for full pension under the new Unified Pension Scheme . Dr. Dhusia's letter also called for the UGC to treat post-doctoral research experience equally, whether it was done in an Indian or a foreign institution as it is unfair to those ducators who have conducted research abroad or in fields not supported by Indian institutions. 'This marks the beginning of a new chapter. It is the first of many efforts to reshape the academic landscape, or rather, a spark that could ignite change across the nation,' added Dhusiya. Rudrashish Chakraborty, Associate Professor, Kirori Mal College said, 'the counting of the entire past service of teachers has been a long-standing demand of the teachers' movement. UGC Regulations 2018 allows the counting of past services only for the first promotion and not giving recognition to the entire duration of past service is a violation of labour rights as the University has taken full service from these teachers for years, without giving them any benefits.' The teachers have been demanding the counting of the entire past service since the notification of UGC Regulation 2018, but neither the UGC nor the MoE had responded to this.
The Hindu
03-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Cusat withdraws circular on teachers' workload
Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) has withdrawn a circular asking heads of departments to confirm whether teachers were complying with the workload as prescribed by the University Grants Commission. The circular issued by the Registrar on May 27, 2025 was withdrawn following opposition from teachers, who said that it contradicted an earlier order pertaining to work norms ratified by the academic council and the Syndicate. The varsity authorities said the circular was withdrawn as it had contradicted an earlier order. It would be cleared and placed before the appropriate body for approval, they added. The circular had asked heads/directors of departments/schools/centres to provide the details of workload assigned for a week to each teacher as prescribed by the UGC. They were told to submit the required documentary evidence. The circular, quoting UGC Regulations 2018, pointed out that the workload of teachers in full employment should not be less than 40 hours a week for 30 working weeks (180 teaching days) in an academic year. It should be necessary for the teacher to be available for at least seven hours daily in the university/college, out of which at least two hours for mentoring of students (minimum 15 students per coordinator) for community development/extra curricular activities/library consultation in case of undergraduate courses and at least two hours for research in case of postgraduate courses. The minimum direct teaching-learning process hours should be: Assistant Professor - 16 hours per week; Associate Professor - 14 hours per week; and Professor - 14 hours per week, it said. Teachers who opposed the circular said that the administrative wing had issued the circular without verifying the norms related to workload ratified by the academic council and the Syndicate earlier.
