Bombay High Court order to pause recruitment of visiting lecturers affecting studies: Polytechnic students write to CM

Latur: Students of government polytechnic colleges in Maharashtra have written to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, expressing concern over their "educational loss" in the wake of the high court's direction to the government to halt the recruitment process of visiting lecturers.

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High court on July 23 directed the government to halt the recruitment process of visiting lecturers in all polytechnic colleges across the state.

The court gave this decision while hearing a petition filed by 144 visiting lecturers seeking regularisation and permanent jobs.

Students from various colleges have written an email to CM Shinde to express anxiety that the high court's move will cause educational loss.

"The lack of a permanent lecturer has left us in the lurch. We are worried about our preparations for the exams and the overall quality of education we are receiving," the letter by the students said.

Due to this, students from two divisions are made to attend the classes together due to which their combined strength goes up to around 150, which affects the quality of education, it said.

Purushottam Bahetwar, secretary of the Tantraniketan Abhyagat Adhiyakhata Welfare Association, said that due to halting the recruitment of visiting lecturers in colleges, students are facing losses in terms of the classes.

"We were conducting free classes so that students do not have to face any loss in terms of their studies, but were compelled to stop teaching...," said Sudhir Salunkhe, a visiting lecturer who served at the Government Women Residential Polytechnic College in Latur.