Guest lecturers stage protest in Bengaluru, demand job security

Sunitha, President, AICUTA-NR, echoed similar concerns, stating that guest lecturers who have dedicated years to providing quality education in government degree colleges are now facing an uncertain future. “It is a gross injustice that we, who have been committed to shaping young minds, are now being rendered jobless. The government’s policy is forcing families dependent on these jobs into distress,” she said.

The protesters demanded that guest lecturers should be allowed to work till they turn 60.

The AICUTA-NR also demanded that those who have completed their M Phil degrees before July 11, 2009, should be retained and the proposed counselling process for the selection of guest lecturers be abolished.

The protest came in the wake of recent government orders and court rulings that have introduced stricter qualification norms for guest lecturers. According to a government order, guest lecturers who do not meet the University Grants Commission’s 2018 qualification criteria were given three years to obtain the required qualifications. The order further stated that after the deadline, such lecturers would not be eligible for appointment.

The Karnataka High Court, in its ruling on a writ petition, upheld the UGC guidelines, directing the government to comply with the minimum qualification requirements before selecting guest lecturers. However, the court also ruled that guest lecturers with prior experience should be awarded additional marks during the selection process.

With the academic year 2024-25 already underway, the state government has permitted the continuation of guest lecturers on a temporary basis until an online counselling process is conducted to recruit qualified personnel. Meanwhile, a writ appeal challenging the recent court order is currently under trial.

The protesting guest lecturers argued that the implementation of new selection processes and qualification criteria in the middle of the academic year will disrupt students’ education and undermine the experience of existing faculty members.

The lecturers have vowed to persist in their fight through legal avenues and further demonstrations, urging the government to reconsider its stance and ensure job security for thousands of teaching professionals across Karnataka.