Payment to guest teachers is taking away huge chunk of internal funds of Mangalore University for lack of government grant, says acting Vice-Chancellor Jayaraj Ameen

With 129 sanctioned posts of teachers at Mangalore University and its constituent colleges remaining vacant, paying salary to guest teachers is taking away a huge chunk of internal funds, to the tune of ₹1.85 crore a month, of Mangalore University, the academic council of the university was told

With 129 sanctioned posts of teachers at Mangalore University and its constituent colleges remaining vacant, paying salary to guest teachers is taking away a huge chunk of internal funds, to the tune of ₹1.85 crore a month, of Mangalore University, the academic council of the university was told on Tuesday.

Acting Vice-Chancellor Jayaraj Ameen and in-charge Registrar (Administration) K. Raju told the meeting that the government has been requested to pay the salaries of about 400 guest teachers hired by the university as their salaries are now being paid by the university’s internal resources.

The university made the request when Higher Education Minister M.C. Sudhakar visited the university a week ago. In addition, the university will again request the government to pay the salaries of guest teachers.

The Finance Officer, in charge, Y. Sangappa told the meeting that the university paid ₹1.15 crore a month as pension to 469 retired employees. In that the government reimbursed only ₹83 lakh. The balance is being borne by the university from its internal resources.

Mr. Ameen said that hiring guest teachers is inevitable as the number of programmes and workload of teachers have increased over the years, while teachers have not been recruited to the pace.

The acting Vice-Chancellor said that of 273 sanctioned posts of teachers, sanctioned during the 1980s, only 144 have been filled. While of 547 sanctioned posts of non-teaching staff, 358 posts remained vacant and only 189 posts filled up.

Mr. Ameen said that with this condition, the university will have to compete with private universities in Mangaluru region. If the government bore the salaries of guest teachers the university can utilise the funds being spent on their salaries for improving academic activities, programmes and other development projects.