College teachers protest to air apathy
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 17 2012: As a part of the one-day protest under the banner of All India Federation of University & College Teachers' Organisation to demand release of 80 percent arrears and oppose privatisation of educational institutions, members of All Manipur College Teachers' Association today staged a sit-in protest in front of Imphal College gate at Tiddim Line.

According to the Association president L Randhoni Devi the country-wide protest demonstration is to highlight opposition to the Government's move for privatisation of higher educational institutions as well as demand release of pending arrears entitled to college teachers after implementation of the 6th UGC pay scales.

Informing that 80 percent Central Government and 20 percent State Government's share entitled to college teachers as per University Grants Commission (UGC) norms from January 1 2006 till March 31, 2010 are being held up till date, she contended that inspite of their counterparts already enjoying the 6th Pay Scale, those in Manipur are getting only the 5th Pay scale.

Teachers staging demonstration as part of one day country-wide-sit-in-protest at Imphal College

Randhoni also explained that the Government of India under the stricture of World Trade organisation is actively engaged in the liberalization, privatisation and globalization of higher education in the country with many bills for opening the floodgates of commercialisation in the pipeline.

Drawing attention of the Government of Manipur for necessary steps to redress the suffering of the college teachers in the State and to ensure that about 1000 of its members are not marginalised, the president said a memorandum would also be submitted to the Governor of Manipur and Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh urging for immediate perusal and necessary action, after the protest demonstration.

The memorandum contained various demands including immediate payment of arrears by the Central and State Governments; stop commercialization of higher education; remove anomalies in UGC regulations (pay scales & PhD) and date extension of RC/OC; issue notification of CAS by the State Government; payment of justified salaries on the basis of UGC & AICTE pay scales to contractual, adhoc, part-time, guest teachers by the State-funded universities, colleges and research institutes, and self financing institutions; remove disparities between teachers, librarians and DPEs with regard to pay scales and retirement age; and withdraw the new pension scheme and national debate on the educational bills.

The representation also demanded that the Government of Manipur announce lump sum package of Rs 600 crores for the development of infrastructure and other facilities of higher education; establish an IIT with special faculties of information Technology; set-up model degree colleges for every district; increase number of constituent colleges, to atleast five, of Manipur Central University; establish central fund for advance research and studies, especially for social science, arts and literatures of the North East india; and set-up State university with central assistance.