STAFF REPORTER
The All-Assam Government NPS Employees' Association has come out strongly in support of teachers from venture educational institutions, demanding the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for educators who it says have been unjustly excluded despite decades of public service.
Association spokesperson Dr Jyotish Goswami said that even after the provincialization of venture institutions in 2013 and 2021, the teachers concerned have been denied OPS benefits — a situation he described as a "clear policy injustice" and a violation of their legitimate rights.
Dr Goswami argued that the teachers in question were appointed strictly in accordance with government norms, university regulations, and UGC frameworks, and dedicated the most productive years of their careers to building Assam's educational foundation.
The venture institutions themselves were established through community-driven initiatives by local educationists and social workers, with the specific aim of expanding access to education in remote and underserved areas — without placing any financial burden on the government.
"For two to three decades, salaries, infrastructure, libraries, and academic activities were managed entirely by local communities," Dr Goswami said, adding that these institutions helped improve the state's Gross Enrolment Ratio long before receiving official recognition.
The Association framed the pension demand not as a favour but as a matter of right.
"Pension is not a concession but a legally and ethically earned post-retirement security arising from long and dedicated service," Dr Goswami asserted, arguing that ensuring social and economic security for employees is both a constitutional obligation and a moral responsibility of any welfare state.
Dr Goswami also drew a pointed comparison between venture institutions and several new model colleges recently established by the government.
He noted that the new model colleges involve substantial public investment in infrastructure and salaries, yet are facing comparatively low student enrolment. Venture institutions, by contrast, were provincialized only after meeting stringent eligibility criteria — including proper infrastructure, consistent academic results, qualified teachers with at least ten years of service prior to November 1, 2011, adequate land, and library facilities — all built without any government financial support.
The Association has formally urged the Assam government to immediately restore the OPS for all eligible venture institution teachers, extend full retirement benefits, and raise the retirement age to 65 years in recognition of their contribution to the state's education sector and public service.
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