Srinagar- The contractual lecturers across various academic institutions of the Kashmir valley gathered at Amar Singh College on Tuesday to protest against a against a “government order”, transitioning them to guest faculty roles.
A circular issued by the Director Colleges, Higher education Department, Goverment of J&K issued on February 1, 2024 states that the Guest faculty shall be engaged by respective Head of the Institutions strictly as per requirement for teaching.
Earlier, contractual lecturers were compensated with a monthly salary of Rs 28,000, however, the new directive slashes their earnings to a mere fraction of what they previously received, leaving many in financial distress.
The protesting lecturers raised slogans denouncing the government’s decision, highlighting the plight of academic scholars who find themselves grappling with economic uncertainty due to the abrupt change in policy.
Speaking at the protest, the contractual lecturers emphasized the inadequacy of the proposed payment.
“We are highly qualified individuals, many of us holding Ph.D. degrees. To reduce our salaries to Rs 400 per lecture is insulting, what we do with this amount. It is simply impossible to support ourselves, let alone our families, on such meager earnings,” a lecturer said on anonymity.
Another protestor said that the order entails a drastic reduction in their salaries, slashing the monthly earnings from Rs 28,000 to a meagre Rs 13,000 or Rs 14,000.
“In 2018, salaries of the contractual employees were enhanced from 18,000 to 28,000 but they were deducted for winter months. It takes years for the administration to complete the recruitment process and in the midst of all this many of the aspirants get overaged. The eligibility for the candidates remains the same but the pay grade remains different”
“We have spent almost a decade in Universities researching so that we can contribute positively to society. When we are hired, all the criteria is followed in line with the UGC guidelines, everything including our degrees are thoroughly checked, but when it comes to remuneration, we are being paid peanuts,” he added.
“We don’t get salaries for winter months as well and ten days for summer vacation are also deducted. Our colleagues draw an amount of rs 57000 in Universities outside Kashmir. Why this injustice with us,” a lecturer asked.
Lamenting the lack of recognition for their experience, a female lecturer said, “A lecturer travels from North Kashmir to South Kashmir to teach at a college. Instead of taking care of his basic needs, salaries are being reduced. We are ashamed to ask for money before our elders.”
“If the order is not revoked, we will not join the services. The government should implement the Supreme Court’s guidelines of equal pay for equal work” she added.
“I have to pay a room rent of Rs 10,000 every month. I have family and kids with me. The discrepancy in pay scales between different regions further compounds the frustration,” he said.
The lecturers warned of hunger strikes, if their grievances are not addressed promptly and called upon the authorities to reconsider the order and pay them on a monthly basis.
Many lecturers have resorted to social media to voice their concerns and express discontent with the recent circular.
JK College Contractual Faculty, a handle on the social media app X created by the contractual faculty to raise their issues tweeted, “Highly Qualified youth of J&K being compelled to be beggars by @Hr_Educationjk by changing their nomenclature to Guest Faculty. @OfficeOfLGJandK kindly intervene & let us live with dignity too”
“A biased move from Director Colleges. Guest faculty in Kashmir div colleges and Academic arrangement in Jammu div colleges. There should be uniform nomenclature and salary for all teaching faculty in J&K from 15 Feb onwards.” tweeted Gulzar Naik, a Ph.d candidate.
“A suitable scheme is the need of the hour so that the candidates who give their 10 to15 years to live with dignity without any humiliation on a daily basis as Contractual in Academic Arrangement system. Requesting the authority to please adjust the contractual staff into the system” Naseer Bhat tweeted.
The Director Colleges in the circular states that Engagement of Academic Arrangement is an annual process and it needs to be recalibrated to bring it is sync with the academic calendar that has been implemented from 2022.
“Accordingly the academic arrangement faculty will be engaged well before the academic session 2024 which will start from 1 August 2024 and for the same advertisement notification will be issued shortly. Meanwhile all affiliated and constituent colleges of Kashmir University and Cluster University, Srinagar will reopen on 15th of February and different semester examinations will commence thereafter with class work for semester 5th/6th batch 2021.” The circular stated.
As such colleges having requirement of temporary faculty for teaching the semester students will engage the services of academic arrangement faculty who were disengaged from 26 December, 2023 “as guest faculty strictly as per the guidelines in vogue.”
The Guest faculty shall be engaged by respective Head of the Institutions strictly as per requirement for teaching of semester 6th students and subsequent semester 2nd batch of 2023 and semester 4th batch of 2022 thereafter with prior approval of undersigned. The arrangement will remain only till the academic arrangement faculty for session 2024 is deployed in the Colleges.”
“The Guest faculty engaged shall have no claim for engagement on academic arrangement basis for session 2024 which shall be done strictly as per the engagement notification to be issued shortly,” the circular reads.
Director Colleges Dr Yasmeen Ashai could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts.
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