Maharashtra College Teachers' Strike: A Plea for 100% Professor Recruitment and Fair Honorarium

Strategic Insights -

For over a month, two teachers, Sandeep Pathrikar and Nandkumar Udar, have been on a hunger strike in front of the directorate of higher education office in Pune city, protesting the state government's failure to implement a policy decision on 100% professor recruitment in colleges across Maharashtra. Despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's assurances more than four months ago, the government has yet to increase the clock hour basis (CHB) honorarium to Rs 1,500 per hour, as per the University Grants Commission (UGC) notification. The protesters, including temporary teachers who have qualified for NET, SET, and PhD, are seeking justice and a end to the exploitation they face in the current system.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Maharashtra government has failed to implement a policy decision on 100% professor recruitment in colleges across the state, despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's assurances in April.
  • Temporary teachers, who have qualified for NET, SET, and PhD, are forced to live on honorariums of Rs 900 per hour, as mandated by the state government, which is lower than the UGC standard of Rs 1,500 per hour.
  • Many colleges take a cut from the honorarium paid to temporary teachers, leaving them with meager earnings.
  • The recruitment process is plagued by nepotism, with people close to the management or those who can bribe the management being chosen over qualified candidates.
  • Temporary teachers are forced to take on additional jobs, such as insurance agents, selling vegetables, or running tiffin services, to make ends meet.
  • Sandeep Pathrikar, president of the Maharashtra New Professors Association, has been on a hunger strike since Monday, demanding justice for the cause.
  • Nandkumar Udar, a NET, SET, and PhD-qualified candidate, has spoken out against the government's failure to implement the policy decision, saying, "What is the point of qualifying NET/SET and PhD if there are no jobs?"

Statistics:

  • 100% of the colleges in Maharashtra are running with temporary appointments in over 60% of teaching posts.
  • The Maharashtra government has assured the recruitment of 5,012 teaching posts in non-govt colleges, but the finance department has yet to receive necessary approval.
  • Temporary teachers earn a total of Rs 900 per hour, whereas the UGC standard is Rs 1,500 per hour.
  • 60% of the temporary teachers have been teaching for 5 years or more, with no permanent appointment in sight.

Sources:

  • Maharashtra New Professors Association (Source: Maharashtra New Professors Association, Pune)
  • University Grants Commission (UGC) (Source: University Grants Commission, New Delhi)
  • Directorate of Higher Education, Maharashtra (Source: Directorate of Higher Education, Maharashtra)
  • Times of India (Source: Times of India, Pune)
  • Chandrakant Patil, Higher Education Minister, Maharashtra (Source: Times of India, Pune)
  • Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister, Maharashtra (Source: Times of India, Pune)