The hitch: the departments engaging their services may or may not issue the appointment orders depending on the requirement.

This naturally has raised the question of 'job security' among the guest lecturers.

A guest lecturer with five years' teaching experience at the Bangalore University told Deccan Herald that most lecturers do not take up teaching work in any other institutions since they find it difficult to cope.

"We are allotted certain hours to complete our portions. If we take up teaching in any other institution besides university, schedules could clash. Besides, the schedule varies from one university to another," she explained.
Moreover, in most cases, appointment orders are delayed which is a problem to both students and teachers.
“Though, the semester is scheduled for six months, it comes only up to four months. Our appointment orders are delayed sometimes by a month or two, and as a result we won't be able to complete the portions. In addition to this, there are a lot of holidays including festivals, because of which we will lose out a good number of days," she said.

Even one-and-a-half months after the semester began this year, the university is yet to give her an appointment order.

‘Disgraceful’
Another guest lecturer, on the condition of anonymity, termed the system as “disgraceful and disappointing."
The maximum salary for the guest lecturer per month is Rs 5,000. But after deduction, the lecturer will get around Rs 4,000.

In the earlier system, at least for a year, the lecturer didn't have to worry about job security. Even though, the order was for a year, the lecturer would have had to work only for seven to eight months considering semester breaks and vacations.

"Now, after the semester system, one is never sure whether we are called again or not. If we are not called, then we will have to look out for jobs elsewhere," he said.

However, another guest lecturer welcomed the system of appointment based on semesters. "For instance, if the guest lecturer is not up to the mark, the university can always reconsider on recruiting him again," he added.

Based on requirement
Bangalore University Vice Chancellor Prof H A Ranganath said the earlier annual system had been done away with, and guest lecturers were called based on the requirement of the semester system.