Kalaburagi: 281 non teaching staff of Gulbarga University appointed on outsource bases and whose services have come to a halt were facing permanent threat of losing their jobs in the University as the hands of the authorities of Gulbarga University were tied due to the mistake committed by the previous Vice-Chancellors and the instructions given by the Higher Education Department of Karnataka.
Though there were 162 sanctioned posts of non-teaching staff which were vacant for a long time, the previous Vice-Chancellors appointed 281 non-teaching staff including women for different works through an out-source agency many years back.
Following the instructions from the higher education department through the letter written by the Deputy Secretary to the Higher Education Department on 31-03-2026 to the Vice-Chancellors, Registrars and Finance Officers of the Universities coming under the jurisdiction of Higher Education Department stating that the Higher Education Department would pay half of the amount of pension to the retired employees of the concerned only if the Universities remove the staff which they have appointed in addition to the required number. If Universities fail to remove the additional staff, they would not get the stipulated 50 percent amount of grant.
The Gulbarga University which is already under financial crises, was to follow the instructions of the higher education department and it terminated the service of 281 employees as the contract between the agency from which these employees were hired ended on 01-05-2026. The employees whose services were terminated have started the strike in-front of the Administrative Office of Gulbarga University from 27th April this year.
They have approached many people requesting their support for the agitation. The agitating former employees say that they were serving in the University for many years and terminating them all of a sudden is illegal. They were demanding that their services should be continued and the University should credit their monthly honorarium directly to their account.
The activists staged gherao to the Administrative office of the University on Tuesday evening where at Syndicate meeting of the University was in progress. They demanded the syndicate members to solve the problem. When TNIE contacted the Vice-Chancellor of Gulbarga University Prof. Shashikant Udakeri, he expressed his helplessness to solve the problem.
He said that on one side there is instruction from the higher education department to remove the excess employees, in addition the University is facing severe financial crises. As this is the case, there was no other way except removing all the 281 non-teaching staff appointed on outsource bases from the agency as the contract between the University and the agency ended on 01-05.2026.
The tenders have been invited for fixing the new outsource agency and through the University would appoint the required 162 non-teaching staff on outsource bases. We would ask the new outsource agency to give preference to the staff who have already worked in the agency if they qualify for the work. But the agitating activists have continued their dharna demanding to appoint them as they have been working for many years.
