Karnataka Lecturers Protest Duty Assignment for Hasanamba Temple Festival

The Hassan district administration in Karnataka has assigned 13 lecturers from government pre-university colleges to manage public announcement duties during the upcoming Hasanamba festival at the Hasanamba temple.

Deputy Commissioner K.S. Latha Kumari issued an order forming a 14-member team, named the Hasanamba Utsava Information Announcers Management Team for 2026, with the lecturers making up most of its members. The festival is set to begin on Thursday.

The lecturers have been tasked with informing devotees in queues about darshan timings, queue management, and other arrangements during the event.

The move drew objections from the district's Lecturers' Association, whose president, Sanne Gowda, led a delegation to meet the Excise Minister, who also serves as the district in-charge minister, along with the Assistant Commissioner overseeing the temple's administration. The group urged authorities to withdraw the order.

Association representatives said the assignment could interfere with coursework, noting that the state's PU Education Department has set a deadline to complete syllabi before December ahead of preparatory examinations.

Lecturers also pointed out that the education department typically restricts them from taking on responsibilities outside teaching, even limiting their participation in academic enhancement programs organized on holidays, making the festival duty assignment especially contentious.