CHENNAI: With just a day to go for the assistant professor examination, anxiety is running high among aspirants, particularly guest lecturers across the state. Many of them say they are walking into one of the most important exams of their lives without even getting a chance to prepare, weighed down by relentless academic and administrative responsibilities.
The Teachers Recruitment Board aims to fill 2,708 assistant professor posts in government arts and science colleges through the test scheduled for Saturday. However, guest lecturers already working in these institutions contend that the timing of the exam places them at a clear disadvantage compared to other candidates.
“For the last two months, we have been continuously on duty,” said G Sivakumar, founder of the TN Government Arts College UGC -Qualified Guest Lecturers Association. “Invigilation, valuation work, administrative meetings, it has been non-stop,” he said. Another guest lecturer, K Muralidharan, said the relentless schedule has left aspirants mentally exhausted and unable to focus on exam preparation.
The pressure has been further compounded by mandatory training programmes under the government’s Naan Mudhalvan scheme. Guest lecturers say they are required to attend these sessions even while valuation work is ongoing. Given staff shortages in colleges and low pay, many feel compelled to comply.
A guest lecturer from Chennai, requesting anonymity, described the situation as exhausting. “Despite holding a PhD degree I am working for a meagre salary of Rs 25,000. This exam is career-defining for me as qualifying it will ensure a better life. However, preparing for the competitive exam has become impossible due to workload,” he said.
Candidates have also faced procedural hurdles. Delays in issuing work experience certificates — which carry up to 15 marks — forced the TRB to extend the deadline for uploading documents to December 5. V Thangaraj of the All Tamil Nadu Government Colleges UGC-Qualified Honorary Lecturers’ Association said guest lecturers are bearing the brunt of the situation.
“We are already in a vulnerable position. Under the current schedule, most guest lecturers cannot compete on equal terms with candidates who are free from teaching and valuation duties,” he said. The associations have appealed to Chief Minister MK Stalin and the higher education department to postpone the examination by at least a month or reschedule it during the May semester holidays, when academic pressure is comparatively low.
Nearly 47,000 candidates are expected to appear for the examination. “We hope the government will act swiftly and ensure that the dedication of guest lecturers does not come at the cost of their own futures,” Thangaraj said.
This story is reported by Binita Jaiswal of The New Indian Express.