Bengaluru:  In a big relief to temporary lecturers of University of Mysore (UoM), the Karnataka High Court has directed the varsity to regularise their services within six months.

The Karnataka High Court has directed the UoM to regularise the services of temporary lecturers who have served10 years or more in the varsity and its affiliated colleges.

The Court has pulled up the UoM for indulging in what it termed as ‘pernicious practice’ of appointing lecturers on temporary basis when there were sanctioned posts available and also exploiting such persons by paying half the salary payable to a regular lecturer.

UoM has to follow the roster norms while regularising appointments. Despite the SC direction, the High Court said, the exploitation of the employees in not giving them the benefit of regularisation and placing the “Sword of Damocles” over their head, continues unabated

The Court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by Dr.M. Kantharaju, Assistant Professor, Department of Christianity and other temporary lecturers serving in University of Mysore and colleges associated with the varsity, who had moved the Court seeking directions to the State and UoM to extend the benefits of the University of Mysore (Absorption, Regularisation of Temporary Full Time/Part Time Lecturers) Statutes 2004, to them.

The Court, while partly allowing the petitions, directed the UoM to take steps to regularise as one-time measure, the services of the petitioners and all such similarly placed persons, who were appointed under Section 51B of the Karnataka State Universities Act and who have served 10 years or more, immediately before the notification of the rules.

The order further states that the University shall complete the process of regularisation within six months.

It says the University may impose a condition on regularisation that if the person/persons have not acquired the qualification like NET/SLET as required under UGC norms, they shall acquire the qualification within a reasonable time from the date of their regularisation.

The order adds that the petitioners shall not be discontinued from service till they are considered under the rules that are to be formulated as directed.