Karnataka PU evaluation boycott total

Mangaloretoday/ DHNS

Bangalore, April 13 2012: The boycott of valuation of II PU papers by lecturers on Friday was total across the State, raising fears of delay in the announcement of results.

The protest was complete, stalling valuation process across the State, except for one centre in Mangalore, where evaluation of Kannada papers took place for about an hour, sources said. The valuation of answer scripts is taking place at 37 centres across the State. A total of 2,497 deputy chief evaluators and 13,235 assistant evaluators have been deputed for the purpose. Seventeen evaluation centres have been set up in Bangalore.

 

 

The Karnataka State Pre-University College Lecturers’ Association (KSPUCLA) refused a late Friday evening inivitation for talks with the State Government, unless they were given a written assurance.

Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda invited the association for talks, through his interlocutor MLC, Capt Ganesh Karni, on condition that the lecturers report for evaluation on Saturday.

The KSPUCLA said that it was ready to resume evaluation provided the government assured it, in writing, of fulfilling the demands on pay disparity. According to KSPUCLA general secretary Shakeel Ahmad, the government is “uninterested” in the talks. “It set a pre-condition for talks and wanted us to fall in line. We were ready to resume evaluation but wanted a concrete promise,” Ahmad said. Consequently, the indefinite boycott of evaluation will continue.

Gowda expressed disappointment at the teachers’ “stubbornness”. “It is unfortunate that the lecturers are boycotting the valuation. The government has their best interest in mind. It has set aside Rs 4,500 crore for employee’s welfare, although it’s a huge burden on the State exchequer. There is also a drought which warrants our attention. The lecturers have to be more understanding,” the chief minister told Deccan Herald.

However, K Balakrishna Bhat, President of Karnataka Secondary School Teachers’ Association, said members of his organisation might reconsider the boycott. “At present, we are supporting it, but may not any further,” Bhat said. He claimed that some of the lecturers “may resume evaluation soon”.

Thousands of lecturers who boycotted the valuation gathered at Freedom Park during the day, demanding that the government listen to their pleas for a pay hike.

Each lecturer values 24 papers every day, 12 in the morning session and 12 in the afternoon session. The lecturers are paid Rs 6 per paper. A PU lecturer who has been deputed for valuation said the results would be delayed by as many days as the number of days of protest.