In Shivamogga, students from various government degree colleges organized a significant protest today outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Their grievance? The persistent and unacceptable delay in appointing essential guest faculty members.
Organized by the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishat (ABVP), the students vociferously chanted slogans, expressing their deep dissatisfaction with the State government’s failure to address the lecturer shortage. For the past two months, many critical subjects have gone untaught, leaving students in an incredibly challenging position. Many now face the daunting prospect of appearing for their semester exams without having received any instruction in these crucial areas.
A press release issued by ABVP officials highlighted the dire situation, noting that all 432 government degree colleges rely heavily on guest lecturers. This ongoing crisis, they asserted, is severely undermining the quality of education and leaving students without the faculty members necessary for their academic progress.
The students’ core demand is clear: the government must promptly fill all vacant positions in government degree colleges. They also insist that all new appointments adhere strictly to the qualification guidelines set by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
While police intervened to prevent the protesters from entering the Deputy Commissioner’s office, Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde personally accepted their memorandum. Superintendent of Police Shivamogga, G.K. Mithun Kumar, and other officials were present at the scene.
The protest in Shivamogga was spearheaded by Nandan M., secretary of the ABVP’s city wing, among others. A parallel demonstration unfolded in Hassan city, where students also gathered outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office, staging a dharna and submitting their own memorandum to the local district administration.