MLC objects to govt. order on payment of salaries to guest lecturers from student fees

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. MLC Madhu G. Madegowda has urged the government to immediately withdraw the Higher Education Department’s order directing universities to pay the salaries of the guest lecturers appointed to Government first grade college from the fees collected from the students. In a letter to Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar dated June 29, 2026, Mr. Madegowda cited the Higher Education Department’s order dated June 19, 2026 directing universities including Mandya University to appoint guest lecturers based on additional workload for 2026-27 on their own and pay their salaries from the fees collected from the students. He said the Government College (Autonomous), Mandya, was upgraded into Mandya University from the 2019-20 academic year and guest lecturers required to meet the additional academic workload from 2020-21 to 2025-26 have been appointed by the Department of Collegiate Education, which has also been paying their monthly remuneration. At present, an estimated ₹5.50 crore is being spent towards their salaries over a period of ten months every year while the university, however, collects only about ₹1.20 crore annually through student admission fees, he pointed out. “Therefore, it is practically impossible for universities to pay the government-prescribed honorarium to guest lecturers solely from student fees,” Mr. Madegowda said. This could result in delays in salary payments or a reduction in remuneration for guest lecturers, causing severe hardship to their livelihood. It may also place an additional financial burden on students from rural, farming and labourer families, who are already paying substantial fees, he said. This would run contrary to the government’s commitment to social justice and equal access to education, Mr. Madegowda said. Without an assurance of adequate remuneration, experienced guest lecturers may be reluctant to continue their services. This could create a shortage of experienced faculty for examination boards, curriculum development boards and semester e