USUAL PRACTICE
2-month break in service for guest faculty members: BDU
Sambath.Kumar@timesgroup.com
Trichy:21.04.2021
Bharathidasan University has decided to give a break in service to guest faculty members working in university departments and PG extension centres for May and June. There are 80-odd guest faculty members working on consolidated pay and hourly basis who will not be getting their salaries for these two months according to the orders issued by university registrar in-charge G Gopinath on Monday.
Though this is a usual practice every year due to college vacation, they were given an exemption last year in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. What has set off panic this year is the registrar’s order asking principals of 10 constituent colleges to take a decision on retaining them for these two months and give extension based on necessity. Since 2012, guest faculty members in constituent colleges were not given break in service during May-June.
There are over 600 guest faculty members working in erstwhile constituent colleges under BDU that were recently converted into government colleges. “The decision to give break in service this year when we are in the throes of a second wave is unfortunate,” said an affected guest faculty member at the university. While they are paid a minimum of Rs15,000 a month, it will be difficult to manage without that salary too for two months during the pandemic, said the faculty member.
However, many are optimistic of being retained considering the fact that semester examination is beginning from May first week and staff are required for subsequent months for evaluation of answer scripts, said a guest lecturer at a constituent college. BDU registrar in-charge G Gopinath told TOI that the decision to give break in service was according to university norms and last year was an exception. “The heads of departments can retain some of the staff based on requirement and same is the case with constituent college principals,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment