B'lore varsity non-teaching staff seek a say in Syndicate

As many as 400 non-teaching staff of Bangalore University launched a protest at Jnanabharathi campus on Wednesday for the fulfilment of their demands.

The non-teaching staff have been demanding that they be given representation in the Syndicate and the Academic Council of the university for nearly three years now and this was reiterated during the protest.

“Calcutta University in West Bengal and Sambalpur University in Odisha have such representation in the decision making bodies. We also need such representation at the top level for our problems to be fully heard,” said Mahalingaiah, executive member, Non-Teaching Staff Association, Bangalore University.

Staff shortage

According to Mahalingaiah, there has been a shortage of non-teaching staff due to non-recruitment for a very long time.

“There are many who retire from service, but none have been recruited,” said Mahalingaiah. Work is either being outsourced or given to people on the basis of daily payment.

Payment of wages of non-teaching staff on the basis of UGC (University Grants Commission) scales was another demand put forward.

“When teachers in the University are being paid on UGC scales, why are we being discriminated. Aren’t we part of the same University,” asked Mahalingiah.