CHANDIGARH, July 10 -- The higher education department of Haryana has sent a second letter within a week to 10 government-run universities, giving them three days to furnish details of all full-time and part-time employees for drafting the Haryana State Universities Contractual Lecturers (Security of Service) Bill-2026. According to a July 8 memo issued by the director general (DG) higher education, a letter was also issued on July 1 to the state universities, in which information was sought "to frame" the bill in question in order to provide the security of service net to contractual lecturers of the universities. "But, no information has been received till date (July 8)," reads the latest missive, requesting the universities to provide the information "within three days" so that further necessary action can be taken. "If the compliance is not done as per the prescribed time, the registrar (of the concerned university) should appear in person to provide information to the DG higher education. This may be treated as most urgent." The registrars of the universities to whom the letter was issued are Kurukshetra University; Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak; Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa; Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya, Khanpur Kalan, Sonepat; Chaudhary Bansi Lal University, Bhiwani; Chaudhary Ranbir Singh University, Jind; lndira Gandhi University, Meerpur, Rewari; Dr BR Ambedkar National Law University, Rai, Sonepat; Gurugram University, Gurugram; and Maharshi Valmiki Sanskrit University, Kaithal. The information that the department has sought includes the total number of employees working on a part-time and full-time basis in all state universities, along with data on regular posts and the financial implications if the "services of the said employees are secured." The universities have been directed to clarify whether teaching staff of universities drawing remuneration below 50,000 per month are covered under the Haryana Extension Lecturers and Guest Lecturers (security of service) Act, 2024 and the Haryana Contractual Employees (security of service) Act, 2024. According to Vijay Malik, state president of Haryana universities' contractual teachers' association (HUCTA), the association has been pursuing the matter with the government for the past two years, demanding a job security law for contractual assistant professors working in state universities. "We are optimistic that contractual assistant professors serving in Haryana's state universities will also be granted the benefit of service security legislation on the lines of extension lecturers in government colleges, " Malik said. The HUCTA says ensuring job security for contractual assistant professors and extension lecturers is a "poll promise" of the state government that will benefit about 1,500 contractual assistant professors and extension lecturers. The government had assured security of jobs for the contractual employees having a monthly salary up to Rs.50,000, but these assistant professors are getting a little more than Rs.50,000 and don't come under the purview of the law that secures the services of contractual employees. At the heart of HUCTA's demand is the Haryana Contractual Employees (security of service) Bill, 2024, which was passed in November 2024 to provide job security to the contractual employees till they superannuate at the age of 58. After this, the state assembly passed the Haryana extension lecturers and guest lecturers (security of service) Bill, 2024 (the Act was notified on January 16, 2025) for providing job security to contractual lecturers, guest lecturers engaged by government colleges and guest faculty engaged by government polytechnics and state institute of engineering and technology. As per this law, the benefit of security of service is admissible to those eligible extension lecturers and guest Lecturers who have fulfilled five years of service on or before August 15, 2024....