Tamil Nadu Aided College Teachers Stage Protest Demanding Career Advancement Scheme Benefits

A day-long sit-in protest was staged by around 300 faculty members, including 100 women professors from government-aided colleges, at the Joint Director of Collegiate Education Office in Madurai on Monday. The protest, led by the Association of University Teachers (AUT) and the Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa, and Alagappa University Teachers' Association (MUTA), aimed to demand immediate implementation of long-pending Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) salary benefits and arrears. The protest was part of a coordinated statewide agitation across eight zones, including Chennai, Trichy, Vellore, Dharmapuri, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, and Thanjavur.

Key Takeaways:

  • Over 300 faculty members, including 100 women professors, participated in the protest, highlighting the significant number of staff affected by the delayed implementation of the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) salary benefits and arrears.
  • The protest was organized by the Association of University Teachers (AUT) and the Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa, and Alagappa University Teachers' Association (MUTA) to press for the immediate implementation of CAS benefits.
  • The higher education department had issued Government Order No. 5 sanctioning CAS promotions and pay hikes, but aided college teachers alleged that they have yet to receive any benefits, unlike their counterparts in government colleges.
  • Out of the eight zones, CAS benefits have been implemented only in Coimbatore and Thanjavur, highlighting the uneven implementation of the scheme.
  • The unions have raised this issue more than 30 times, with no resolution in sight, demonstrating the prolonged suffering of aided college faculty members.
  • The higher education department had allegedly assured the unions in June that CAS benefits would be included in the July 2025 salary, but the promise was not kept, leading to the protest.
  • Protesters urged the government to release the pending CAS salary and arrears without further delay.

Statistics:

  • Around 300 faculty members participated in the protest, including 100 women professors from government-aided colleges.
  • The protest was part of a coordinated statewide agitation across eight zones.
  • Only two zones, Coimbatore and Thanjavur, have implemented CAS benefits out of the eight zones.
  • The unions have raised this issue more than 30 times, highlighting the prolonged suffering of aided college faculty members.
  • The higher education department had assured the unions in June that CAS benefits would be included in the July 2025 salary.

Sources:

  • [No specific source mentioned in the original text]