Faculty members at the Madurai Kamaraj University who were responsible for evaluating papers held a protest outside the paper evaluation hall. The protesting teachers alleged that the authorities had not provided them with water or refreshments and had not paid them for their work in the previous round of paper evaluation.
According to TNIE, the evaluation of papers for undergraduate courses at a university in Mumbai began on Monday, January 2. Over 1000 faculty members were involved in the process. These teachers are typically provided with refreshments such as tea or coffee and snacks, but on Monday, the authorities failed to do so, TNIE reported. Additionally, the teachers had not been paid for their work in the previous round of evaluations. These factors led to a protest at the paper evaluation hall.
The teachers who were protesting called for the authorities to address their unpaid remunerations and to provide them with refreshments as they evaluated the answer scripts. Speaking to TNIE, a teacher from MKU, who requested anonymity, said, "The authorities asked us to buy snacks and tea from our own pockets. They cited the financial crisis of the university as the reason behind the issue."
Faculty members at the Madurai Kamaraj University who evaluate papers are supposed to be paid Rs 12 per undergraduate paper and Rs 15 per postgraduate paper. However, according to TNIE, these teachers have not been paid for the past six months. "Most of the teaching faculties involved here are guest lecturers; they are getting a salary of around Rs.20,000 only. From their pocket, they are already spending money on transport to evaluate papers. Also, the authorities have asked us to deduct TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) from the remuneration that is due to us," the teacher told TNIE.
After the teachers staged a protest, the Vice-Chancellor of the Madurai Kamaraj University, J Kumar, met with the protesters in an attempt to calm them down. Refreshments were provided to the faculty members, and the Vice-Chancellor also promised that the outstanding remunerations would be resolved within the week.
