Guest lecturers from Government Pre-University Colleges gathered near the Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi on Tuesday to protest against the State government. The demonstrators, under the banner of the Government Pre-University Colleges Guest Lecturers Organization, voiced demands for regularisation, better wages, and improved working conditions.
Protesters raised slogans criticizing the State government and supporting their organization. They highlighted that over a thousand guest lecturers are working full-time for an honorarium as low as ₹12,000 per month, demanding that it be increased to ₹30,000.
Other key demands include considering guest lecturers’ seniority during annual recruitment to ensure quality education, issuing service certificates and merit points for job security, and limiting their workload to 10-12 hours per week in line with Department of Education guidelines.
The protesters also sought the immediate release of pending honorarium for additional guest lecturers appointed this academic year (2024-25) in colleges across the State, including Tumakuru and Mysuru, and for February of the 2023-24 academic year.
They further demanded that guest lecturers be retained until the end of March, full payment of October salaries in all districts, and maternity leave and other facilities for female guest lecturers similar to those available to degree college teachers.
The protest saw participation from leaders like Allama Prabhu Bettadoor, V.N. Rajashekar, Padmaprabha Indra, Rajesh Bhat, and others.
