Professors working on an hourly basis in colleges under Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) have launched a scathing attack on the state government and university administration, accusing them of pushing educators into “modern-day bonded labour.” For the past three months, these professors have received no approval for their teaching hours and no honorarium, leaving families to suffer without income.
Dr. Pramod Lende Khairgavkar, president of the Maharashtra Part-Time Professors’ Association and Teachers Recruitment Federation, hit out fiercely: “This is not a profession anymore — it is slavery. The government’s inaction is destroying lives.” He pointed out that on November 14, 2018, the Higher Education Department issued a GR guaranteeing monthly honorarium payments. Yet, in the seven years since, neither RTMNU, the colleges, nor the Joint Director’s office has enforced it.
The neglect has already turned fatal. The federation revealed that 15 part-time professors across Maharashtra have committed suicide due to unbearable financial pressure. Every year, appointments are delayed, payments are withheld, and educators are humiliated by uncertainty.
The association is now demanding urgent justice: ₹80,000 monthly salary, 11-month appointments, and implementation of “equal work, equal pay.” Khairgavkar warned, “Enough is enough. The government and RTMNU must end this academic bonded labour system or be ready to face statewide agitation.”
With festivals around the corner and no income in hand, RTMNU’s professors say the system has robbed them not just of wages but of dignity — and they are no longer willing to suffer in silence.
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