Savita Kumari
Port Blair, Nov 21: Mr. P K Halder, President, Andaman Nicobar Democratic Congress and Former Member, A & N Pradesh Council demanded to increase Honorarium of Guest Faculty as revised by University Grants Commission, New Delhi.
In his letter addressed Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, Cabinet Minister of India, and Admiral (Retd.) D.K.Joshi, Lt. Governor he informed that the University Grant Commission, New Delhi, has already revised the Honorarium of guest Faculty and the very matter has already been communicated to all the university/colleges.
“It clearly states that the Honorarium for guest Faculty is enhanced to Rs.1,500/- per lecture subject to a maximum of Rs. 50,000/- per month”, he added.
He pointed out that it is very unfortunate that the very enhancement is not been done in our Island-Colleges or Educational Institutions namely JNRM, MGC, Tagore of Education, Engineering College, Law College, etc.
Still Rs. 1000/- is being paid per two lectures to each of the guest Lecturers subject to a maximum of Rs. 25,000/- per month. Hardly Rs. 20,000/- is being paid to each of the Guest Lecturers in a month, he said.
In this connection, he communicated that the cost of living in the A & N Islands is much higher than that of Mumbai City. He pointed out that it is a gross injustice to the highly talented qualified youths of this Island Territory. Many of the Guest Faculties met him, and he realized that all of them are being demoralized. All the institutes of higher education of this Island Territory are being run by these so-called Guest Lecturers. Otherwise, all the higher educational Institutions in A & N Islands would have been closed, Mr. Halder added.
The President of ANDC also highlighted another major chronic problem regarding the selection of the Professors / Readers of Universities and other Senior Officers say the Members of UPSC are being selected under the banner of UPSC particularly in A & N Islands. He said that the youth of these islands are being victimized, of the 40 Lecturers, only one candidate belongs to this Island Territory whereas around one hundred Guest Lecturers are teaching in different Govt. Colleges namely JNRM, MGCC, Tagore College of Education, etc. in these Islands.
