Gujarat Teacher Salary : AIFUCTO to stage protest

Expressing a sense of solidarity with agitating members of Gujarat State Teachers' Association, AIFUCTO has decided to organize the demonstration at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi near Income Tax Circle at 4 pm. About 650 representatives of the organization, who have come to attend the 25th three-day national seminar on Higher Education in India Issues & Challenges', will participate in the event.

"In response to the call of Gujarat State Teachers' Association, thousands of lecturers from various colleges across state are arriving in the city to join the fight against this injustice," said K S Shastri, president of the association.

The subject of non-implementation of UGC's recommendation by the government dominated the course of discussion on the first day of AIFUCTO national seminar. "Members of AIFUCTO from other states expressed angst against the apathetic attitude of Gujarat government in solving the problems of college lecturers," said AIFUCTO president Thomas Joseph.

"It is hard to believe that such an injustice is being meted out to teachers in a state which boasts of being the leader of economical development in the country," Joseph said.

"Central government and UGC have always designed their policies, keeping in mind honour and respect for the teachers," said Bharatsinh Solanki, Union minister of state for power, who inaugurated the seminar.

Facts.
* The basic pay plus grade pay of a lecturer at entry level as per UGC should be Rs 23,000 but the state government is offering Rs 14, 700.

* Designation given by UGC of assistant professor and associate professor has not been granted. GoG has violated UGC's guidelines by not incorporating these changes.

* Reader's basic scale of Rs 37,400 has been abolished and instead given to professors who should get Rs 43,000 as per UGC's guidelines.

* The GR also mentions that all teachers will be equivalent to government employees and there exists ambiguity regarding retirement age.

* Autonomy of all universities has also been taken away.
Source : Times of India.