VTU lecturers call off strike

Federation of Engineering College Teachers Association of Karnataka President Dr S Vidyashankar said the Association had decided to resume revaluation from Tuesday. “We have done this after a meeting with the higher education minister,” he said.

The lecturers had boycotted evaluation of answer scripts at five evaluation centres since December 9 over the non-implementation of the AICTE sixth pay commission. The AICTE scales had been notified in March 2010, and the government is yet to issue the same. More than 23,000 teachers of various engineering colleges in the State took part in the protest.

The teachers have been boycotting evaluation at five centres in Reva and Global college in Bangalore, KLE, and Gotge college in Belgaum, and VTU Regional office in Gulbarga. Despite a meeting with the Higher Education Minister, no action was taken due to restrictions imposed during the Panchayat polls.

Under the sixth pay commission, a Professor will earn a minimum of Rs 43,000 basic pay, and up to Rs 67,000. Professors will be eligible for grade pay of upto Rs 10,000.