Assam college teachers announce continuous statewide stir from Nov 18

Teachers in Assam's provincialised colleges will begin a continuous statewide agitation from November 18, the Assam College Teachers' Association (ACTA) has announced, accusing the state government of ignoring its demands for well over a year, Pratidin Time reported on Sunday.

A long-pending charter

ACTA, the apex body of teachers in provincialised colleges, said in a joint statement from its central office at Solapara in Guwahati's Paltan Bazar that its 13-point charter of demands had been placed before the Chief Minister and the Education Minister several times since October 7, 2024, without result.

President Dr Bipul Chakrabarty and general secretary Dr Parag Jyoti Mahanta said almost all the demands follow University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines that most other states have already put into practice. The one exception, they said, is a request for mutual transfers, which they described as a humanitarian appeal. Because of this, they argued, Assam's college teachers face discrimination that teachers elsewhere do not.

Among the main demands are the reopening of the OM 2013 portal and the replacement of the National Pension System with the Old Pension Scheme.

Assurance not kept, says ACTA

The association said the Chief Minister had, at an earlier meeting, accepted that its core issues were justified and asked for time to resolve them. More than a year and a half later, it said, no effective step has been taken. The leaders called for formal talks to find a permanent solution, saying teachers who serve with dedication should not be denied their rightful entitlements.

The statement did not spell out the form the agitation will take from November 18.

Background

The announcement follows an October 30 protest in which college teachers across the state suspended academic work and held peaceful demonstrations over pending service and financial demands.

ACTA said it remains open to peaceful dialogue but would be forced to intensify its movement if the dues are not settled, and urged the Chief Minister to step in so that the academic year is not disrupted. A long agitation in the middle of the session could affect classes and internal assessments for students in provincialised colleges across Assam.

No response from the government had been reported by Sunday night.