Karnataka Guest Lecturers Protest: Government appoints committee headed by Kumar Nayak

NEW DELHI: A high-level committee has been formed by the Karnataka government to address the issue of the regularisation of Karnataka's guest lecturers. Thousands of guest lecturers are working in colleges across the state at salaries as low as Rs 14,000 per month. They have been on strike since December 15, 2022.

The committee, headed by Kumar Nayak, the additional chief secretary will look into the regularisation of services of the guest lecturers, announced the higher education minister.

“The committee's report will be out soon. The Karnataka government is committed to solving the guest lecturers issue. We request for the withdrawal of the strike,” said the higher education minister of Karanataka, CN Ashwath Narayan , in a social media post.

ಬಹಳ ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಚರ್ಚೆಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಅತಿಥಿ ಉಪನ್ಯಾಸಕರ ಕುರಿತ ವಿಚಾರವಾಗಿ ಕುಮಾರ್ ನಾಯಕ್ ನೇತೃತ್ವದ ಉನ್ನತ ಮಟ್ಟದ ಸಮಿತಿ ರಚಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ.

ಶೀಘ್ರವೇ ಸಮಿತಿಯ ವರದಿ ಬರಲಿದ್ದು, ಆ ಬಳಿಕ ಸಮಗ್ರವಾಗಿ ಚರ್ಚಿಸಿ ಅಗತ್ಯ ಕ್ರಮ ಕಲ್ಪಿಸಲು ನಾವು ಬದ್ಧ. ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಅರಿತು ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳ ಹಿತ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಯಿಂದ ಮುಷ್ಕರ ಹಿಂಪಡೆಯಬೇಕಾಗಿ ಕೋರಿಕೆ.

— Dr. Ashwathnarayan C. N. (@drashwathcn) January 1, 2022

The protest and the hunger strike was organised by Guest Lectures' State Coordination Committee. The committee demanded the regularisation of their jobs. They also demanded Rs 25 lakh compensation and a government job for a family member of guest lecture Shriharsha Shanbhag, who recently died by suicide.

Recently, while replying to the leader of the opposition, Siddaramaiah, Ashwath Narayan had promised the constitution of a committee to assess the issue and suggest solutions.

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According to the congress leader Siddaramaiah, 14,000 Karnataka guest lecturers are working in colleges of Karnataka for the past 15 years with a minimum salary of just Rs 14,000. Some of them are highly qualified with even holding PhDs, reported The Hindu.

Siddaramaiah had asked the government to regularise the services of the Karnataka guest lecturers and to provide them with job security and better salary.

“The guest lecturers of Karnataka are working like bonded labourers for the government”, Siddaramaiah said.