Ad hoc teachers seek pay parity

With the implementation of the revised pay scales by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for college and university teachers, there has been an increase in the salaries with effect from January 1, 2006. But the UGC has totally ignored the teachers in the ad hoc category, whose strength comprise more than 75 per cent in colleges.

In a college there are three category of teachers — ad hoc who work on fixed salaries varying from Rs 6000 and Rs 12000 per month. In the second category, teachers working against unaided posts in colleges, which are on grant in aid list of the government and teachers working on aided posts, where 95 per cent of salaries being paid by the government.

As against the four posts earlier (lecturers, senior scale lecturer, selection scale lecturer and principal), there will now be three posts viz assistant professor, associate professor and principal whose revised salary has seen a surge of 50 to 55 per cent.

For instance, an assistant professor who earlier got a salary between 8000-13500 will now get 15600-39100 + academic grade pay (6000). While an associated professor, who earlier used to draw 12000-18300, will now get 37400-67000 + AGP (9000). And college principals earlier used to get two types of grades, one was 12000-18300, while the other slab was 16400-22400. But now both these categories have been put under slab, i.e. 37400-67000 with AGP of 10,000.

This way a newly appointed teacher will get more than Rs 30,000 per month and a teacher with an experience of 12 years or more will fetch around Rs Rs 70,0000. But the UGC grades have completely ignored the ad hoc lecturers.

Talking to Newsline, Raman Sharma, an ad hoc teacher, said, “This is a grave injustice. We are given 30 periods per week which are more than the periods assigned to the permanent staff. Still we are given meagre salaries.”

Dr Mukesh Arora, Member of Panjab University, Senate, said, “The UGC should also grant at least minimum basic salaries to the qualified adhoc teachers along with some DA.”

Source : Indian Express.