Faculty appointed on contract by the Anna University went on a day-long protest on Sunday at the College of Engineering Guindy campus. The protestors have a series of demands that they want the university to respond to.
The university recruited around 1,050 engineering and science graduates as teaching/visiting faculty in 2011. Though they had signed a contract for only six months for a consolidated salary of ₹20,000 per month, the university continued to retain them.
The protesters demanded that their services be regularised as they had been overlooked for permanent positions. “We have been applying for positions every time the university advertises. But we have been overlooked as we are told that our service will not be counted,” said a faculty member.
Protestors claimed that on the AICTE website, they had been designated by the university as assistant professors on contract for purposes of getting approval for its courses. But the university would not redesignate them, they added.
‘Hike approved’
According to them, although the university, in its Syndicate minutes dated July 14, 2010, approved a hike in salary to ₹25,000-35,000, even the few who did get a hike, have received only ₹29,000 so far.
A senior official of the university said the issue of hiking salary had to be taken to the finance committee.
As for the protesters’ demand on maternity leave, summer holidays and regularisation of positions, the official said the Syndicate would take decisions.