Assam: Provincialised tutors urge government to amend law, grant them teacher status

OUR CORRESPONDENT

DOOMDOOMA: Provincialised tutors in Assam have urged the state government to amend relevant provisions of the provincialisation law during the upcoming Summer Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly to resolve several long-pending issues related to their service conditions.

The tutors who had been teaching without remuneration in venture schools set up by local communities more than two decades ago. On February 5, 2021, the government appointed them under the category of “Tutors” instead of recognising them as full-fledged teachers, a move that has remained a major point of contention.

During the previous five-year tenure of Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, tutor organisations repeatedly staged protests, demonstrations and strikes demanding teacher status and better wages. Despite sustained agitation, their demands remained unresolved.

With the BJP-led alliance government returning to power for a third consecutive term after the 2026 Assembly elections, tutors have renewed hope that their grievances will finally be addressed in the forthcoming Assembly session. Their key demands include elevation to teacher status in accordance with legal provisions, implementation of revised pay scales based on the principle of equal pay for equal work, payment of Rs 10 lakh gratuity to retired tutors and to the families of tutors who die while in service, and improvement of infrastructure and teacher strength in self-based schools.

The tutors believe that the government can address these issues by introducing suitable amendments to the Provincialisation Act. They pointed out that although the matter had been discussed in previous Assembly sessions, no concrete decision was taken, leaving many tutors to retire or die without receiving justice.

In a statement to the press, Pradip Kumar Moran of Tinsukia, Charitra Gogoi of Dibrugarh and Atul Bora of Golaghat appealed to the government to ensure that the long-standing deprivation faced by tutors does not continue. They also urged the government to prioritise the overall development of Assam’s education sector as the National Education Policy is being implemented across the country.

 Also Read: Assam government orders inquiry into alleged DISE code scam