Don't Make Do With Guest Lecturers

By Express News Service

Published: 10th April 2016 03:08 AM

Last Updated: 10th April 2016 03:14 AM

CHENNAI: Appalled by the practice of the Dr. Ambedkar Law University engaging guest lecturers, Madras High Court has directed the varsity to give up the practice.

“We are appalled by the contention raised in the counter affidavit, inasmuch as the University seems to be running on the strength of guest lecturers. This is not the way a University can function. Every subject should be taught by a full time professor or lecturer,” a division bench of Justices R Sudhakar and S Vadyanathan has said.

The bench was allowing a writ appeal from PRL Rajavenkatesan, seeking to quash an order of a single Judge dated August 5, 2013, refusing to appoint him as an assistant professor in environmental law.

“A Guest Lecturer is only a supplement and cannot be a primary mode of imparting education. We find the attitude of the university, namely that having guest lecturers belies the need to appoint regular faculty, affronting the  system of education and is an abdication of its role as an educational institution,” the bench said.

After noting that though the appellant had secured the highest marks in environmental law, he had not been selected.

The bench directed the University to redo the selection process in respect of Environmental Law by appointing an appropriate Committee and complete the said process within four weeks on the basis of the records already available.