Port Blair, April 11: The Member of Parliament, Shri. Kuldeep Rai Sharma has taken up the matter the Chief Secretary, of A&N Administration regarding enhancement of honorarium for an amount of Rs. 1,500/- per Lecture to the maximum of Rs. 50,000/- to all Guest Lecturers working under Andaman and Nicobar Administration.

During a meeting with the Chief Secretary this morning, the Member of Parliament explained that he has got representations from the guest lecturers engaged in various colleges functioning under Andaman & Nicobar Administration for taking up the matter with the authorities concerned for payment of Rs 1500/- per lecture to the maximum of Rs 50,000/- which is extended only to those guest lecturers who possess pre requisite qualification of UGC regulations. 

“Such guest faculties having less qualification are around 90 constituting nearly 85% of the total Guest lecturers engaged in JNRM, ANCOL, MGGC and TGCE performing work similar to regular lecturers,” he said.

The Member of Parliament informed the Chief Secretary that most of them are engaged since 2004 and were working on meagre monthly honorarium of Rs. 5000/- which was enhanced during the year 2009 to Rs. 250/- Per Lecture subject to the maximum of 10,000/- for the period upto March 2013. During 2013, the enhancement of honorarium to the Guest Lecturers was done for an amount of Rs. 1,000/- Per Lecture subject to the maximum of Rs. 25,000/- per month for UGC qualified candidates. However, the matter for payment of equal honorarium to qualified and less qualified guest lecturers was taken up with the Andaman & Nicobar Administration and the administration was gracious enough to confer same honorarium of Rs. 1,000/- Per Lecture subject to the maximum of Rs. 25,000/- per month to both UGC qualified and less qualified guest lecturers.

He said that now the Andaman & Nicobar Administration since December 2022 has enhanced the honorarium to Rs 1500/- per lecture subject to a maximum of Rs 50,000/- per month for only UGC qualified lectures which has caused pain to left out lecturers who are also discharging duties with sincerity like other guest lecturers meeting to the teaching requirements at all these 4 (four) Government colleges.

“The enhancement in honorarium to Rs. 1,500/- per Lecture to the maximum of Rs. 50,000/- for all the Guest Lecturers working under A&N Administration including these 90 odd long serving guest lecturers though having less qualification than required by the UGC will considerably improve the financial condition and will motivate them to discharge their duty with much dedication and sincerity,” the Member of Parliament explained.

Hence he requested to enhance honorarium to Rs.1500/- per lecturer to maximum of Rs.50,000/- per month for all guest lecturers working in the colleges of Andaman & Nicobar Administration at par with UGC qualified guest lecturers.