Guwahati: College teachers across today, Assam suspends academic activities and stage peaceful sit-in demonstrations as the Assam College Teachers’ Association intensifies its agitation over several long-pending service-related and financial demands.
The statewide protest will be observed across all provincialised colleges, with teachers participating in a pen-down strike and holding protest on their respective college campuses.
In a press statement, ACTA president Dr Bipul Chakrabarty and general secretary Dr Parag Jyoti Mahanta said the strike was being organised to highlight prolonged administrative delays, unresolved policy issues and the alleged failure of the state government to fulfil its financial commitments to college teachers.
The association expressed concern over the implementation of UGC guidelines in provincialised colleges, stating that the shortcomings had adversely affected teachers' promotion prospects, professional dignity and morale, as well as the overall academic environment.
Among its key demands, ACTA has sought the reopening of the OM 2013 portal to resolve pending service-related matters, the scrapping of the National Pension System and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme.
The association has also demanded that previous service be counted towards seniority and promotions in accordance with UGC guidelines, along with the grant of Career Advancement Scheme promotions from the respective dates of eligibility.
Other demands include the regularisation of fixed-pay teachers, release of pending UGC-scale arrears and withheld increments for MPhil and PhD qualifications, comprehensive leave rules, and an increase in the retirement age of college teachers to 65 years. ACTA has further called for simplifying mutual transfers, removing administrative hurdles in promotions and filling vacant teaching posts to maintain the prescribed student-teacher ratio.
The association urged the state government to intervene immediately, warning that prolonged delays could further affect the higher education sector in Assam.