Three-year deadline proposed for guest faculty to obtain UGC qualifications
Bengaluru: Officials from the Higher Education Department have reportedly suggested a three-year deadline for guest lecturers at government first-grade colleges to obtain the qualifications prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The discussions, which took place during a meeting between the Higher Education and Law departments, also included the suggestion of extending the tenure of guest lecturers for the current academic year, as reported by Deccan Herald on Sunday.
The move comes in response to a High Court ruling that mandates the government appoint only those lecturers who possess either a PhD or have cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET) or Karnataka State Eligibility Test (KSET). This order has left the future of more than 5,500 guest lecturers working at government first-grade colleges in uncertainty, as they do not meet the required qualifications.
An official from the Higher Education Department explained that the proposed three-year window aims to give these lecturers time to meet the necessary educational criteria, while also considering extending their service on humanitarian grounds.
“Many of them have been working for years for a small honorarium, but do not have the qualifications prescribed by UGC. We are trying to find a solution that is in keeping with the High Court’s order. The CM will hold discussions on this issue, and a decision will be taken thereafter,” DH quoted the official as saying.
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Heatwave scorches Odisha, Jharsuguda reels under 43.6 degrees C
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Heatwave conditions scorched Odisha on Tuesday, with the IMD forecasting that hot and humid conditions would continue in parts of the state.
The IMD’s Bhubaneswar centre said Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati districts were likely to experience hot and humid conditions on April 22.
It also predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds in parts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada and Koraput, among others.
On Tuesday, 18 places across Odisha recorded maximum temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or above. The industrial town of Jharsuguda was the hottest in the state at 43.6 degrees Celsius.
Sambalpur and Titlagarh recorded 42.5 degrees Celsius each, followed by Hirakud at 42.4 degrees, Bolangir at 42.2 degrees and Angul at 42.1 degrees.
The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 37.9 degrees Celsius and 38.8 degrees Celsius, respectively, with relative humidity levels remaining above 70 per cent.
Meanwhile, the state government directed all district education officers to conduct a Summer Learning Programme for students till class 8 in government schools during the summer vacation.
Officials said students would be given practice assignments along with audio-visual learning content.
Subject-wise assignment sheets have been prepared, while related digital material will be shared through school parents' WhatsApp groups using a chatbot system, they said.
