From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Sept 24: Perhaps for the first time in Karnataka, an exclusive counselling session for posting as many as 2,578 lecturers in different subjects in various junior colleges across the state is being held.

The subject-wise break-up of lecturers is: Kannada-368, English-315, History-328, Political Science-377, Economics-299, Sociology-248, Commerce-189, Geology-100, Mathematics-76, Chemistry-90, Physice-86, Education-35, Geography-20, Hindi-18, Computer Science-10, Sanskrit-9, Urdu-6 and Electronics-4.

Karnataka’s primary and secondary education minister Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri, who inaugurated the four-day counselling session, described the event as a ``historic move’’ as such a large number of lecturers had been recruited and postings were being made to colleges located in the places selected by the lecturers themselves in a "completely transparent manner."

"There was absolutely no outside interference neither by ministers nor legislators or any other influential sections,’’ he said pointing out that the lecturers thus recruited and posted should not feel ``indebted’’ to anybody in any manner.

After a 10-day training by experts in teaching skills and service matters, the lecturers would start their work in the respective junior colleges for two years.

The minister said the lecturers were liable to be transferred to other places after the initial two-year period but again through counselling. They are required to work in the places posted by the department and in the ‘c’ zone for nearly 10 years.

"Nobody is supposed to try for transfer during this period,’’ he said making it categorically clear that as a minister he would not entertain such requests.

Kageri said there was delay in completing the process of recruitment, which was started in 2007. But the lecturers should consider themsleves lucky as the drive initiated by the Department to improve quality of education and results in SSLC and PUC began afterwards.

In addition, the lecturers should be happy with the salary of more than Rs 16,000, he said pointing out that they should not compare their salaries with those in the IT sector.

The minister mentioned that there were seven lakh students in 3,500 junior colleges and 1,200 government colleges including 600 aided institutions with 14,000 teachers.

He also advised them not to confine themselves merely to teaching their subjects and cooperate in co-curriculor activities also.

The Centrally sponsored Rastreeya Madhyamika Shiksha Abhiyan programme of was proposed to be introduced from next year to improve the quality of education.

Education Department Principal Secretary R G Nadadur said the verification of the candidates had been completed by the deputy commissioners and police department in a record three-months time.

Commissioner of Public Instruction B A Harish Gowda, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan`s State Project Director Selva Kumar and Director of Pre-University Education S Shankara Narayana were present at the function.