Jeypore, 31st Oct 2025: After a month-long gap, guest lecturers at Vikram Dev University have once again resumed their agitation. They are demanding timely payment of salaries at the revised rate and an end to alleged harassment of guest faculty members. Protesting against the authorities’ arbitrary behavior, they locked the main gate of the university. The agitators have warned that they will not withdraw the protest until their demands are met or a written assurance is given.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Debiprasad Mishra said that a meeting regarding this issue will be held in Bhubaneswar on the 27th, after which a decision may be taken.
Around 11 a.m. today, the guest lecturers assembled on the university campus and locked the main gate, preventing anyone from entering. They staged a peaceful sit-in (dharna) while chanting slogans. Upon receiving the news, the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mishra, Registrar Maheshwar Chandra Nayak, PG Council Chairperson Dr. Prashant Kumar Patra, and Controller of Examinations Ranjan Kumar Pradhan, among others, reached the spot and spoke with the protesting teachers to ensure their safety.
The authorities stated that the matter of enhanced salary rates has already been reported to the Higher Education Department. The Registrar has been instructed to attend the Bhubaneswar meeting on the 27th with all necessary documents. Based on the outcome and instructions of that meeting, further steps will be taken. Once the government issues a directive, salaries will be paid at the revised rate. Until then, the authorities requested that the agitation be suspended.
However, the protesting lecturers refused to back down, demanding that all assurances be given in writing. The discussions yielded no result, and the officials later returned to their offices. The teachers continued their sit-in until 6 p.m. Fortunately, the protest did not affect classes, exam form filling, or other academic activities.
The agitating lecturers said that teachers from various departments participated in the dharna. They alleged that salaries for the past five months have not been paid. Currently, the university is paying ₹500 per class, with a maximum monthly limit of ₹25,000. According to new government norms, guest lecturers in other state-run colleges are receiving ₹700 per class, or up to ₹35,000 per month. UGC-NET-qualified lecturers are paid ₹45,000 per month, and PhD holders receive up to ₹60,000 per month.
“How fair is it,” they questioned, “that lecturers working at a university receive only ₹25,000?” They accused the authorities of deliberate harassment. Earlier, on September 19, a work-stoppage strike was called on the same issue. Since the administration failed to take action even after a month, they said they were forced to resume the protest.
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