Due to novel coronavirus, Delhi University is closed till 14 April, and all the teachers as well as students, are advised to work from home. Teachers are providing online notes to the students in the form of PDF or lecture presentations.
In this task, guest teachers are in a great dilemma. As they are not sure whether they get paid for this or not. They have to give E-Footprints. The student representative has been chosen by the teacher so that students can clear all there queries related to that subject. The guest teachers are providing proper notes and lectures according to their time table as well as a copy of all the notes was also e-mailed to the teacher in charge.
One of the guest teachers of Delhi University Abhinava Goswami updated a file that has all the evidence related to his online teaching during the COVID-19 lockdown.
All other permanent teaches and most of the ad-hoc faculties received their salary in their accounts, but there is always a delay in the payment of the guest teachers. Abhinava Goswami added that he received his salary check for February on March 31. The guest teachers always have to wait for their salary.
The guest teacher’s payment was based on attendance. It was collated and processed from the office of the authority. The earlier payment was made on the physical evidence but after the lockdown, they have to “produce e-footprints” for the payment of salaries. There are lots of guests the teachers in Delhi University as per the demand of colleges and Delhi University wants there guest teachers to be available during the lecture hours without compromising with the study of students. The guest teachers are not sure whether they will be paid for this or not.
Every college is dealing differently with their guest teachers.
One of the teachers of Miranda House has no complaints regarding late payments as they get their payments hand to hand, but it is not clear whether the salary is based on classes or consolidated overall. Whereas “In Hindu college, many of the guest teachers might not be this lucky” said a faculty at the college on condition of anonymity.
The payment process of a guest teacher is very sophisticated. There is a lot of procedures that has to be completed before the receipt of the money. After the lockdown, this process has become more complex than before.
The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) had sent a letter to colleges in demand to pay the guest teachers too in this lockdown. The guest teachers are also making them available at their classes schedule and helping the students with proper notes, online lectures, and hence they should be paid according to there online class records. All sections of teachers should be helped equally by the university.
~Neha Dhingra
