Contract lecturers working at various universities in Telangana today staged a protest at the Congress' State headquarters, Gandhi Bhavan, expressing concerns over their "uncertain" future.
Approximately 1,400 contract teachers are employed across 12 universities. The protest was organised under the leadership of Dr Samarla Vijayender Reddy, Coordinator of the All Universities Contract Teachers JAC, who is demanding the regularisation of their services.
Speaking at the protest, Reddy expressed regret that the State government had failed to honour its previous promise to regularise the contract lecturers and had not addressed the issue even nearly a year after coming to power. He said that contract teachers were facing extreme uncertainty in the current situation and struggling to support their families.
Reddy also said that the universities had ignored their concerns, leading the lecturers to take to the streets and stage protests. He urged the State government to respond promptly and fulfill its promises by regularising the university contract lecturers, and warned the government that they would escalate their movement across the State if the government failed to address their demands.