Kolkata/IBNS: A recruitment notice by West Bengal’s Bankura University, inviting PhD or NET-qualified candidates as guest lecturers at a meager remuneration of Rs 300 per class, has triggered a wave of criticism.

This comes after the Bankura Police tried to recruit civic volunteers as supplementary teachers for primary school students under a scheme called “Ankur”. After the move came under immense flak, the state government said the scheme had not been approved by it and directed the district authorities to put the on hold.

The University of Bankura issued the notice on March 24 for the recruitment of four temporary lecturers in its physics department. According to the notice, one candidate will be recruited for Electronics, and two candidates will be recruited for Nano Science. However, no specific subject has been fixed for the other vacancy.

The appointed lecturers will have to take a total of four classes per week. They will be paid a remuneration of Rs 300 per class.

If the number of applicants is low and a few people are appointed, the number of weekly classes may be increased, reads a translation of the advertisement.

Since posting the advertisement, the university drew widespread criticism for seeking highly qualified candidates with PhD or NET, a benchmark for competence for teaching at the university level in India, at the rate of Rs 300 per class, which amounts to a paltry Rs 4,800 per month for four classes a week.

Condemning the notice, Union Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar termed the matter painful and astonishing. “Now, will there be recruitment of civic professors? It seems the state government wants to hire civic professors just like civic police. Is the economic condition of West Bengal so bad?” he asked.

Slamming the bizarre notice, Bankura District Secretary of CPI (M) Ajit Pati said, “This notification is an example of how to destroy the education system. If a lecturer is paid Rs 300 per class, they will have no liability to do a good job. This is nothing but a conspiracy to destroy the state’s education system.”

However, the ruling Trinamool Congress is yet to see a fault or even a reason to admonish the university authorities in the entire issue.

Trinamool leader and former state minister Shyamal Santra claimed that the opposition is trying to spread confusion. "Education cannot be linked with monetary value. Both BJP and CPI (M) have lost people’s faith and are disconnected from their issues. That's why they want to survive by promoting these things on social media," he said, according to a report in the media.

Meanwhile, social media is in a frenzy over the remuneration issue.

Several netizens asked how highly educated candidates could be Rs 4,800 per month offered to teach in college.

Many of them said the pay being offered to guest lecturers is even lesser than what had been set for temporary and contractual sweepers in the university.

A notification issued by Bankura University on 19 December last year for the recruitment of sweepers on contractual and temporary sweepers stated a monthly allowance of Rs 5,000.

Meanwhile, a professor at IIT Bombay tweeted Bankura University’s notification and questioned the standard of education in Indian institutes.

He wrote, "MSc in Physics with NET or PhD. Per class salary INR 300!!!! 4 lectures a week, monthly 12 lectures, total 4800!!! My maid’s per day salary (for working abt 2 hrs) is more than that. After this, we ask why our education quality is bad! "

Bankura University is a public university established through an Act of the West Bengal legislature. The university provides both undergraduate and postgraduate courses.