JAMMU : The simmering discontent among contractual college teachers in Jammu and Kashmir surfaced again on Monday when temporary lecturers at Government Degree College Kathua observed a one-day pen-down strike, demanding higher remuneration and equal pay for equal work.
The protest, reported from Kathua, has once again drawn attention to the uncertain working conditions of nearly 2,100 Academic Arrangement faculty engaged in Government Degree Colleges across J&K.
Recent reports put their remuneration at around ₹28,000 per month or ₹900 per day, with engagements generally covering only about eight months of the academic year.
The protesting teachers are seeking an increase in remuneration, payment during summer and winter breaks and greater financial security. They have also highlighted the financial strain faced by teachers posted in far-flung colleges, where rent, food and travelling expenses consume a substantial part of their limited earnings.
The grievance is not new. Contractual college teachers have repeatedly raised the issue through representations and pen-down strikes, demanding UGC-norm remuneration, year-round payment, improved service conditions and a change in nomenclature.
Pertinently, government colleges across J&K continue to depend substantially on Academic Arrangement faculty to keep classrooms running, while many qualified teachers remain without the stability and financial security associated with regular service.
The recurring protests raise a fundamental question: how long can the higher education system continue to depend on highly qualified young teachers while offering them meagre remuneration and leaving their professional future uncertain?