An assistant professor for civil engineering in Telangana was sent two terse messages by his institution last week—“please take a cut in salary, and don’t complain if the salary comes late". “Private institutions have their own way of working.
In the current crisis, they know you won’t protest," said the assistant professor who declined to be named. Manu Kumar, a teacher in an Odisha college, agreed. “Days before the lockdown in the state began, my college told me to take around 30% cut in salary.
The argument was: Though I am qualified, they can get my replacement for cheap during this pandemic." The situation is not restricted to just one region.