Chennai – November 9
Guest lecturers across Tamil Nadu are taking their fight to the Supreme Court after the state’s Higher Education Department has failed to follow a Madras High Court order that directed permanent appointments for them.
V. Thangaraj, the State President of the All Tamil Nadu Government Colleges UGC‑Qualified Honorary Lecturers’ Association, said 1,146 teachers who completed a certificate‑verification process in February 2021 are still waiting for regular posts. The High Court had already ruled in their favor, but the government has not acted.
“There’s no better outcome than making the court intervene one more time,” Thangaraj told reporters. “We will ask the Supreme Court to enforce the High Court’s decision and to ensure all guest lecturers receive salaries that meet UGC guidelines – a minimum of ₹50,000 a month.”
Currently about 7,800 honorary lecturers work under a consolidated pay scheme in 171 arts, science and education colleges state‑wide. Under the state’s current policy, they earn roughly ₹25,000 a month, one of the lowest rates for university‑qualified teachers in India.
“We’re looking at huge pay gaps,” Thangaraj added. “Delhi, Punjab and Haryana each pay around ₹50,000 to ₹57,700. Kerala offers ₹50,000, Puducherry ₹40,000, but we’re stuck at ₹25,000 even though we have highly qualified educators.”
The association’s plan is to file a special leave petition with the Supreme Court in the next few weeks. The petition will demand that the High Court’s ruling be implemented and that all honorary lecturers receive salaries matching UGC standards.
A recent Madras High Court order, issued in October 2025, already criticised the policy of hiring UGC‑qualified, doctorate‑holding teachers as “guest lecturers” on meagre consolidated pay. Thangaraj said the court had highlighted that these teachers perform the same duties as regular lecturers, calling the practice “exploitation under the guise of honorary appointments.”
Source: ianslive
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