The Chandigarh Aided College Teachers' Association (CACTA) has issued a stern warning to the Chandigarh Administration, threatening to launch mass protests and intensify their agitation from the next academic session. The association accuses the administration of deliberate and unjustified delays in implementing crucial University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations and long-pending service benefits for educators in privately managed government-aided colleges.
Deep Anguish Over "Willful Stalling" of UGC Rules
Expressing profound disappointment, CACTA leaders stated that despite Union Home Minister Amit Shah's clear reaffirmation in 2022 that Chandigarh, as a Union Territory, must follow central government policies, the local administration has created "unnecessary ambiguity". The association alleges this ambiguity is a tactic to willfully stall the implementation of mandatory UGC regulations that guarantee teachers their rightful benefits.
Minakshi Rathore, the President of CACTA, minced no words, stating, "The Administration is denying teachers their rightful UGC benefits." This sentiment forms the core of the dispute, with teachers feeling their professional dignity and financial security are being undermined by bureaucratic delays.
Key Long-Pending Demands of the Teachers
The association has laid out a list of critical demands that have remained unresolved for years. The central issues include:
- Implementation of the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) promotions with effect from 2018.
- Enhancement of Dearness Allowance (DA) from January 2025.
- An increase in House Rent Allowance to 20 per cent.
- Confirmation of a one-year probation period with full salary.
- Enhancement of the superannuation age.
- Full and unconditional implementation of the UGC Regulations, 2018.
CACTA emphasized the significant role its members play, highlighting that the aided colleges of Chandigarh cater to over 30,000 students. The association noted that while it possesses the organisational strength to boycott examinations—a potent tool of protest—it has consciously refrained from such action to protect students' academic interests and future prospects.
Ultimatum: Justice or Escalated Agitation
In a firm statement, the association's leaders have drawn a line in the sand. They declared that if their legitimate demands are not fulfilled immediately, CACTA will be forced to escalate its protest measures starting from the next academic session. This escalation is planned to include mass protests designed to ensure their grievances reach the highest levels of the central government.
"We seek dignity, not charity. We seek justice, not excuses. The movement will continue until UGC justice is delivered," the association's statement read. This powerful rhetoric underscores the teachers' resolve to continue their fight, framing it not as a plea for special treatment but as a demand for the rights and respect owed to them under established national policies.
The situation places the Chandigarh Administration under increasing pressure to address these systemic issues before the beginning of the new academic session, potentially averting widespread disruption in the city's higher education landscape.
