Contract Teachers Protest Against Punjab Government, Surround Pbi. Uni VC Office
Under the banner of PUCTA, contract teachers staged a sit-in at Punjabi University, Patiala.
Patliala April 23
Contract teachers from various institutions of Punjabi University, Patiala, including the main campus, constituent colleges, neighborhood campuses, and regional centers, held a protest and sit-in today to express their grievances. The demonstration was organized under the aegis of the Punjabi University Contract Teachers’ Association (PUCTA), marking the beginning of their collective struggle.
The contract assistant professors, who have been working on a contractual basis for approximately 10 to 15 years, stated that in September 2022, the Punjab Government issued directives based on a 2018 University Grants Commission (UGC) notification. This notification mandated revised pay scales for all teachers as per the updated regulations. While Punjabi University has implemented these rules for regular and guest faculty, contract teachers have been excluded and continue to receive salaries based on the outdated pay commission.
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For the past two and a half years, contract assistant professors have been demanding that the university authorities implement the 2018 UGC notification for them. However, they claim the university has only offered empty promises. Frustrated by the lack of action, contract assistant professors across Punjabi University staged a permanent sit-in to press for their legitimate demands.
Dr. Taranjit Kaur, President of the PUCTA Union, highlighted that while the Punjab Government has championed slogans of an “education revolution,” it has failed to address the plight of contract teachers working in constituent colleges in rural areas for 10-15 years. She emphasized that these teachers have not only been denied regularization but are also deprived of the salaries they are entitled to under the regulations. Dr. Kaur further accused the university of consistently treating contract assistant professors like “stepchildren.”
Fed up with the university’s hollow assurances, the PUCTA Union has launched a sustained protest against the university administration. The sit-in will continue until the contract assistant professors are granted their rightful dues, and the union has vowed to persist with their struggle until their demands are met.
