Hundreds of government college teachers participated in a statewide protest on the call of the All India Federation of University and College Teachers Association (AIFUCTO) against the non-fulfilment of pending demands of teachers and oppose new education policies.

President of Himachal Pradesh Government College Teachers Association (HGCTA), Dr Banita Saklani, said, “The HGCTA participated in the protest by wearing black badges on this call; the major demands of AIFUCTO include the rejection of UGC draft regulations 2025, rejection of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, demand for additional pay hikes for M.Phil and PhD holders, improvement in working conditions in higher educational institutions and filling up all vacant teaching posts with regular teachers.”

“The HGCTA is also raising the demand for the promotion of college teachers, the creation of posts for professors in colleges, and full salaries for teachers on study leave, besides other demands,” she added.

She said, “AIFUCTO has called upon the college and university teachers of the country in a nationwide protest by wearing black badges on 23, 24, and 25 March, participate in dharna at Jantar Mantar on 29 April and a dharna in Bhubaneswar , in the capital of the education minister’s home state, on 27 April, besides a sit-in in the Prime Minister’s Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi, on 22 July.”

Addressing teachers at Mandi, Dr Saklani highlighted concerns about privatisation, commercialisation and centralisation in education and urged teachers’ unions to unite in responding to these challenges.

She also strongly criticised the recently passed Himachal Pradesh Recruitment and Service Conditions Act, 2024, which adversely affects over 1.3 lakh employees in the state, including college teachers, as the Act denies important benefits such as promotion, seniority, pension and other consequential benefits to contractual employees.

.

Sharing is caring!