Ahmedabad: The Centre for Distance and Online Education (CODE) at Gujarat University has come under scrutiny over the expenditure on temporary staff appointed for its six online programmes, including BA, BCom, BBA, MA, MCom and MBA.Sources said 43 employees — 18 teaching, 16 technical and nine administrative staff — are working on 11-month temporary contracts. Despite their temporary status, they are reportedly being paid salaries as per University Grants Commission (UGC) norms, putting the university’s salary expenditure at around Rs 3 crore per annumThe recruitment was done through online advertisements, raising questions over the procedure followed for temporary appointments and the salary structure offered.The programmes were approved by UGC during the tenure of the previous vice-chancellor. In the first year, around 450 students registered, of whom 252 secured admission. This year, registrations rose sharply to 3,101, but only 447 Indian students took final admission, with 440 being deemed eligible.Sources said the staff are currently handling online classes and administrative work for around 343 students.The university opted for temporary appointments citing the lengthy process of permanent recruitment. However, questions have been raised over extending UGC-level salaries to temporary employees and whether the expenditure was financially sustainable given the relatively small number of enrolled students.
