CUTN draws flak for lower pay for Tamil guest lecturers, ETEducation
Trichy: The Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN) in Tiruvarur has drawn criticism for inviting applications for guest lecturers with salary disparities for those teaching Tamil language subjects. However, the university denied any discrimination, saying the recruitment of Tamil faculty pertained only to a Tamil paper offered under the community college initiative.
On Oct 12 and 16, CUTN issued a series of notifications to recruit guest faculty for community college courses and departments. Lecturers hired for media and communication department with PhD or NET qualifications would be paid ₹1,500 per hour (up to ₹50,000 a month).
In contrast, those appointed to teach Tamil language subjects in BVoc digital journalism and multimedia applications, BCom (Vocational), and BVoc tourism and hospitality management — despite the same qualification requirements — would receive only ₹500 per hour, capped at ₹15,000 per month. Another notification for a guest lecturer in BVoc tourism and hospitality management, also a community college course, offers ₹500 per hour, with a maximum of ₹25,000 per month.
The disparity in pay scales has left academicians and activists fuming. They called it discriminatory and disrespectful towards the Tamil language. However, defending it, CUTN vice-chancellor M Krishnan said if the appointments were for the Tamil department, involving language, literature, and grammar papers, the pay would be on par with other departments at ₹50,000 per month.
“In all 28 departments, guest lecturers are paid ₹50,000, which is claimed by us through the (Union) ministry. However, in the community college initiative, it cannot be claimed as the money is not part of the university budget. The fees for all the courses are only ₹5,000–₹10,000, and students are admitted without an entrance exam. We have to conduct the courses with the amount received from these fees,” the VC told TOI.
Former AUT president K Pandyan termed it ‘intellectual exploitation.’ “Even if there is a difference between departments and community courses, why is the other notification for another faculty higher than that of Tamil-,” he said. “When the ₹25,000 honorarium given by the state govt to guest lecturers is itself very low, this move by a central university to offer even less is totally unacceptable,” said V Thangaraj, state president of Tamil Nadu All Govt College UGC-qualified Guest Lecturers Association.
“This reflects the Union govt’s mindset. To offer such a meagre amount to lecturers who have completed PhDs is condemnable,” said Raja Ragunathan, member of the general council of Tamil Desiya Periyakkam.
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