Over six thousand Vidya Upasaks in the state are sore over government apathy. They allege that they were getting salaries
less than the minimum wage paid to the daily wager labours in the state. Vidya Uasak were recruited by the previous BJP government of the state headed by Mr. Pream Kumar Dhumal about five years back. At that time the monthly salary was fixed at rupees two thousand per month and they were engaged to teach primary classes in place of JBT teachers. For the past five years state government has not increased their pay nor any policy has been drafted to regularize their services just like other teachers engaged earlier under different designations to teach primary classes in the state.
In the state even daily wager labours were getting rupees 75/- per day while Vidya upasak were being paid less than rupees 67/- per day.
State government had put the services of the Vidya Upasak under the Panchyats in the state. This was another matter of concern for these teachers. They had demanded that their services may be placed under the education department like other teachers as all their activities are planned and controlled by the education department alone.
They demand that government should follow the principal of equal pay for equal work despite creating several categories within the teachers teaching primary classes.
Working as district correspondent with The Tribune & Danik Tribune in Sirmour.
I think people in Himachal need to come forward in terms with rest of the world. Need of the hour is to get trained for emerging markets and not for B.Ed. or other teaching skills. Its a matter of simple demand and supply. we have more teachers than any other state but less skilled people for ever growing technology field. I wonder if HP govt. is coming with a plan to train masses in new technologies instead of asking industry to give jobs to Himachalis. If there is not enough trained people in particular segment then how come you demand jobs. India is growing and HP should not be left behind and that would happen only if Himachalis get trained in new fields. Teaching and govt job is not the need of hour or for that mental job security. Being competitive and trained in new skills opens endless opportunities. I hope my comments doesn’t incite emotional backlash but a positive attitude.
I am happy to read your comments.But situation in HP is different. We have not much industrialization and people of rural Himachal has not still prepared themselves to go out of the boundaries of state for earning their livelihood. Ultimately Himachal is to match the pace of development with the rest of world but I think it may take little more time. Ironically our political leaders has not still come up their vote politics they must realize the need of hour.
Hi,
I think in Himachal lot of Trained teachers are still without jobs. For government recruitment state government is having policy of filling 50 percent of the the total vacancies through direct recruitment and remaining through batch wise seniority list prepared with the help of local employment exchanges and Directorate of Education ,Shimla. In the case of T.G.T (Medical) 1997 Batch is still waiting for their turn and in the case of T.G.T (Arts) situation is worse. State is already having lot of trained teachers than why state government adopt such policy of employing untrained people under various posts created with new-new names like Para teachers, Vidya upasaks etc.? Government should focus on appointing well trained professionals and try to maintain and raise the quality of education in the state for futher future development.
“Divide and Rule” seems to be main mantra for today’s’ politicians and beaurocrats who are more dangerous than British imperialists. Teacher is a teacher. His status and salary should be determined on the basis of educational qualifications and the seniority, and not by coining different cadre names. It has destroyed the whole work environment and motivation level of teaching community.
But who cares? Education is the sector with zero nuisance value which can be easily experimented with such policies. In a social system based on the degree of nuisance power, aspiring to become a teacher will be the last option based on TINA factor (There Is No Alternative).
Such an apathetic attitude to this most important sector vanishes all hopes for corrections in the socio-economic and political system which we all criticize uncountable number of times daily.