Guest faculty not regularised despite 20 years of service

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 26

At present, there are approximately 878 guest professors working in 49 government colleges throughout the state, many of whom are nearing retirement. Unfortunately, even after 20 years of service, these teachers have not been regularised.

The guest faculty lecturers said guest professors took on the responsibility of managing government colleges on meagre salaries because no one else was willing to take on the roles for such low pay.

Dr Ravinder Singh Mansa, state president of the Guest Faculty Assistant Professors Association, has called for the regularisation of the services of guest faculty assistant professors who have been serving in state government colleges for over 20 years, as well as the immediate implementation of the new pay scales.

Today, a group of professors held a state-level meeting. Mansa said guest professors had helped shape the future of higher education in the state’s government colleges, which were struggling to keep up with demand.

Mansa admitted that while the government had provided some relief by increasing their salaries, the formula for dividing guest professors into different salary slabs remained inadequate.

Another guest faculty lecturer said guest professors played an important role not only in academic duties but also in extracurricular activities such as NSS, NCC, cultural activities, sports, examinations, election duties and various NAAC tasks, but were underpaid.

According to the new pay matrix, teachers are only receiving half of their basic salary of Rs 86,896, including allowances.

The association’s president said of the emoluments the guest professors received, Rs 11,600 came from PTA funds, increasing the financial burden on students.

Dr Parmjeet Singh and Prof Vandana from Amritsar, Prof Sukhjit Singh from Rara Sahib, Prof Tanveer from Sangrur, Prof Boota Singh, Prof Simrat Pal Singh from Sri Mukatsar Sahib and Prof Kulwant Singh from Tarn Taran have urged the Chief Minister to use his ‘green pen’ to illuminate the future of guest faculty assistant professors.