John Wilbert & Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Feb 02: Guest lecturers in colleges in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have expressed their dissatisfaction with the current treatment they are receiving from the administration. Despite a government order issued on November 30th, 2022 by the Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, mandating an increase in the honorarium for guest lecturers, the colleges in the archipelago have yet to implement the changes. The guest lecturers are currently being paid Rs. 1000 per lecture instead of the mandated Rs. 1500.
Additionally, guest lecturers in the archipelago are not receiving pay for national holidays such as Independence Day, Republic Day, and 15th August, despite the fact that all categories of daily wage earners across India receive these payments. The guest lecturers, who work an average of 20 to 22 days a month, are also not receiving full payment despite working all their scheduled days.
Most of the colleges in Andaman and Nicobar Islands are largely dependent on guest lecturers but sadly they are not paid well. Many guest lecturers are facing huge financial difficulties whenever there is a delay in file movement for their extension.
When contacted, a senior officer of Higher Education told Andaman Sheekha that the administration is working on resolving the issue of equal pay for equal work and that a report would be sent to the Secretary of Education within two days. The issue of national holiday pay will also be addressed.
