Plight of K'taka's guest lecturers: 20-day dharna unnoticed, threatens academic cycle

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Guest lecturers in government first-grade colleges across the state find themselves in a precarious situation as they continue their dharna for 20 days.

Surprisingly, opposition parties have not yet addressed their demands in the session.

The guest lecturers, numbering over 12,372 in 430 colleges, are seeking regularisation of their services, a promise made by the Congress and included in its election manifesto.

Despite the previous BJP government addressing some demands by increasing their honorarium and workload, the current plight has not gained attention from Opposition leader R Ashoka.

As the strike persists, student organisations SFI and ABVP are expected to join the cause, hitting the streets soon, according to sources.

The ongoing strike, which began on November 23, has impacted more than 15 lakh students and disrupted the academic cycle, potentially affecting upcoming exams and the next academic year.

In an attempt to ease tensions, the minister conducted a meeting with higher education department officials, instructing principals to allow guest lecturers to work without discrimination.