Telangana contract university teachers stage dharna outside TGCHE office demanding regularisation and equal pay

Contract teachers working in 12 State universities across Telangana staged a dharna outside the office of Telangana Council for Higher Education (TGCHE) in Hyderabad on Thursday, October 15, demanding regularisation of their services, implementation of the ‘equal work, equal pay’ principle and other employment benefits.

The University Teachers’ Association (C) Telangana State (UTACTS) organised the protest against the State government’s recent issuance of Government Order (G.O.) Ms. No. 31, dated October 13, through the TGCHE. The association said the order had caused concern among contract teachers as their long-pending demands remained unresolved.

According to the UTACTS, around 1,200 contract teachers have been working in 12 State universities for nearly three decades. The association said it had repeatedly represented its demands to the government and had been seeking job security, better pay and regularisation of services.

The association recalled that it had organised a State-wide strike last year after the government issued G.O. Ms. No. 21. The strike continued for 11 days before it was called off following an assurance from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy that the government would take up recruitment to vacant posts only after addressing the issues of existing contract teachers. “We are disappointed by the latest government order, issued without resolving our longstanding grievances,” they said.

UTACTS said the Telangana Education Commission had recommended the absorption of contract teachers who possessed the requisite educational qualifications, including NET, SET, Ph.D., JRF and PDF qualifications. “The government has not acted on the recommendation despite the teachers being involved in teaching, research and administrative activities,” they added.

The association demanded that the government regularise or absorb all 1,200 contract teachers working in the 12 universities, in accordance with applicable court directions and the Telangana Education Commission’s recommendations. It also sought implementation of equal pay for equal work until the absorption process is completed.

Other demands included initiating recruitment to the remaining vacant posts after excluding those occupied by existing contract teachers and providing retirement benefits of ₹30 lakh to contract teachers. The association further appealed to the government to extend the 7th Pay Revision Commission (PRC) and University Grants Commission (UGC) pay scales to contract teachers, along with job security until their services were regularised. “The salaries currently paid to contract teachers are substantially lower than those received by lecturers in junior, degree and polytechnic colleges,” they said.