Directorate Of Collegiate Education Pays Rs.10 Lakhs A Teacher Who Has No Work

Often we hear students and the public complaining about the quality of teaching in colleges. There is a common complaint that lecturers who draw hefty salary do not do justice to their profession. It is no secret that majority of the lecturers spend less than three to four hours in colleges but earn double their salary by way of private tuitions. But do you know that there are several lecturers who are pocketing salaries for years even without engaging a single class or teaching a single student?

A simple application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 filed by Mr. G.G. Hegde Kadekodi, an RTI activist trained by CREAT and CHRI has been able to unearth a case where a lecturer has been on the rolls of the college without teaching a single student for the past three years.Mr.Hegde filed an application in November 2006 under RTI to the M.M.Arts & Science College, Sirsi and sought details about a lecturer appointed for teaching Geology. In his application he asked whether the college has a lecturer to teach Geology and the number of students who have taken up this subject. He also asked the salary paid to the lecturer.

 The reply given by the college speaks of the efficiency of the Department of Collegiate Education. It has come to light that one lecturer has been appointed in MM Arts & Science College (aided by the Government) for teaching Geology. He has been drawing a salary of Rs.27,490 per month. But there is not a single student in the college pursuing Geology for the past three years. The lecturer is being paid the salary for no work.

The RTI application has also brought to light that the college has been corresponding with the Government since August 2004 about transferring the lecturer. It has written nine letters to the Directorate but without any result. In November 2006 the Joint Director, Dharwad has written to the Directorate at Bangalore admitting the fact that the concerned lecturer is being paid salary without any work thereby causing loss to the Government. It also sought why action should not be taken for drawing salary without any work.

The Directorate at Bangalore replied in March 2007 and intimated the RTI applicant that action has been taken to transfer the lecturer to a college in Tumkur where a suitable post is available.

{Mr, G G Hegde is a consumer rights advocate and has been an active member of the RTI network in Karnataka developed by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and the Consumer Rights Education and Awareness Trust, (CREAT) Bangalore. }