“Our demands unmet despite gov’t change”: Contractual Assistant Professors in Telangana demand benefits, regularisation

The assistant professors say that their demands of regularisation, better pay and benefits have been longstanding since before the current Indian National Congress government came to power in 2023
Contractual assistant professors protesting in Osmania University, on Wednesday, January 29
Contractual assistant professors protesting in Osmania University, on Wednesday, January 29Pic: Sourced
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Contractual assistant professors in Telangana allege that despite repeated protests and representations to the government, they are yet to see their posts regularised or receive the benefits they are entitled to from the State Government.

The teachers, who teach at various universities in the state, including Kakatiya University, Satavahana University, Osmania University, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Telangana University, and others, gathered last week under the aegis of the All Universities Contract Assistant Professors Coordinating Committee to demand the receipt of their Basic Pay, as well as the House Rent and Dearness Allowances (HEDA), which they allege have been pending for years.

Last Wednesday, January 29, the teachers wore black badges in protest, reiterating these demands. The next day, ie Thursday, January 30, the teachers also staged a bike rally across the state as part of their agitation.

However, despite these activities, the government has yet to respond to these demands.

Allowances not guaranteed since BRS’s term, assistant profs allege

Speaking to EdexLive, Dr Sadu Rajesh, Assistant Professor at Kakatiya University and member of the Coordinating Committee, said that their demands of regularisation, better pay and benefits have been longstanding since before the current Indian National Congress government came to power in 2023.

“We protested very aggressively when the BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samiti) was in power, especially as the 2023 Telangana Legislative Assembly elections drew closer,” he says. To recall, contractual assistant professors staged protests in 2023 in front of then-Education Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy’s residence.

He points to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s assurances that their demands will be met and the Congress party’s manifesto promise that contractual lecturers will be regularised according to the University Grants Commission (UGC) rules.

“However, despite meeting Education Secretary N Sridhar, as well as Cabinet Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Seethakka, and Konda Surekha, our situation is still status quo,” Dr Rajesh laments.

He adds that the chief minister only spoke about filling vacant teaching positions with more full-time staff, without addressing the concerns of the contractual assistant professors.

Dr Rajesh explains that they are forced to take up academic duties like teaching and research, as well as administrative duties without any of the benefits that assistant professors would receive. He adds that despite being 1,100 in number across various universities in Telangana, they are stretched thin due to over 2,000 vacancies.

“On-contract professors do not get the benefits they are entitled to after they retire. Female professors are not being allowed maternity leaves either,” he narrates.

The demands of the contractual assistant professors stand as thus:

  1. Provision of salaries with basic pay, dearness allowance and house rent allowance as per the payscales prescribed by the UGC

  2. Formation of an action committee and roadmap for the regularisation of their posts

The Coordinating Committee has currently withdrawn from protesting, as the Model Code of Conduct has been implemented in Telangana for the ongoing by-poll elections in the state, Dr Rajesh informs EdexLive.

“However, we are deliberating on our next course of action, and will make an announcement this week,” he said.

In addition, he reiterates the committee’s promise of “shutting” the universities in the state if the administration goes ahead with the hiring of full-time teaching assistant professors, without resolving their issues first.

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