Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has granted approval for the appointment of 1,524 honorary lecturers in government arts and science colleges across the state, as part of preparations for the commencement of the second shift of classes.

According to the Higher Education Department, the introduction of the second shift, also referred to as 'Shift 2', aims to accommodate an additional intake of over 15,000 students in these institutions. With this expansion, an estimated 15,354 students are expected to be newly admitted.

To manage the increased academic load, a total of 1,230 honorary lecturers are required—421 for first-year courses, 403 for second-year courses, and 406 for third-year courses.

The estimated cost for their salaries over an 11-month period, at a rate of Rs 25,000 per month, is pegged at Rs 32.77 crore.

Additionally, 294 honorary lecturers are proposed to be appointed for a period of three years to handle 49 newly introduced courses. The projected expenditure for this segment is Rs 7.74 crore.

The department has also submitted a financial plan for necessary infrastructure development in connection with the new courses. Following the proposal, the state government has accorded its approval for the appointments.