Armed with placards and a 17-year-long history of service, contract faculty members at the Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT), also known as Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Basara, have launched an indefinite strike demanding regularisation of their services on April 21, 2025.

The protest, organised under the banner of the RGUKT Teaching Employees Association in response to a state-wide call by the University Teaching Association Contract (UTAG), saw faculty staging demonstrations outside the administrative building. Their central appeal: the end of the contractual system and recognition of long-serving educators.

Association President Srisailam, urged the Chief Minister to regularise the faculty who have been serving for decades now and reminded the government that the institution was built with the contributions of contract faculty from the very beginning.

Dr Shreedhar Patel, faculty at IIIT Basara, speaking to EdexLive, raised concerns over the recent Government Order (GO) Number 21 issued by the Telangana government, which initiates fresh recruitment of assistant professors across state universities. 

“We’ve been working in various state universities for 15-20 years. The government is going for fresh recruitment, but we demand regularisation first,” he said.

The faculty member, who also holds a PhD, emphasised that many like him are experienced and qualified. “If we are forced to compete with freshers again, it nullifies our years of contribution. This GO should be cancelled,” he added.

With Chief Minister Revanth Reddy currently abroad on a visit to Japan, faculty await his return and the review meeting scheduled for April 23. “Till then, the strike continues. We have resigned from administrative positions and stopped attending classes,” Dr Shreedhar confirmed.

If their demands remain unmet, the association is prepared to escalate the movement. “We’re ready for a mass protest if needed,” he warned.