What Future Holds For Ad Hoc College Teachers Across Odisha?

Lecturers and junior lecturers working as Ad Hoc teachers in colleges across Odisha, are looking at an uncertain future, after the State government decided not to extend their services in Government degree, autonomous and model degree and junior colleges beyond May 31, 2020.

There are 187 Ad Hoc teachers working across the state since 2014.

According to an order issued by the Higher Education Department, “The term of ad hoc junior lecturers who were engaged in different government junior, autonomous, model degree colleges is hereby extended till May 31 2020. This will be the extension and their ad hoc engagement shall be automatically terminated on this date.”

As many as 235 lecturers (college branch) and 141 junior lecturers of different subjects were appointed on an ad hoc basis. Now, only 120 lecturers and 67 junior lecturers are engaged in different colleges in across the state.

The Odisha government had adopted the UGC guidelines and the principle followed by the Delhi University while appointing the ad hoc lecturers in 2014. Most of the teachers have completed their PhD and post-doctoral degrees from institutes like IIT, JNU, Delhi University and foreign universities.

The Odisha government has given requisition to Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) for selection of 606 college teachers. But the ad hoc teachers are alleging that the government has not considered their case.

“We have six years’ of teaching experience and the government had selected us following due procedure. Some of us work in Maoist-hit areas with great difficulty. We have crossed the age limit and cannot even sit for OPSC examination to get a lecturer’s job,” said an ad hoc teacher.

He said that last year the higher education department had held a discussion on regularization of their jobs. “When the state is struggling to fill up teaching positions in colleges and universities, the government’s steps to terminate our services has come as a surprise,” he added.

A senior official of the Higher Education Department said, they have followed the terms and conditions related to the appointment of ad hoc teachers.