Odisha: Varsity teachers demand increase in retirement age, to begin stir from Nov 1
Hemanta Pradhan | TNN | Nov 1, 2018, 13:55 IST
Representational Image BHUBANESWAR: State university teachers will begin stir from Thursday demanding increase in their retirement age from 60 to 65 like their central university counterparts. The teachers under the aegis of Federation of University Teachers Association (FOUTA) will wear black badges as a mark of protest from Thursday onwards.
FOUTA convener Santosh Tripathy said almost all the states in the country have increased superannuation age of university teachers from 60 to 65, but Odisha has not done it so far. “We urge the state government, which follows UGC norms and best practices, to consider our demands,” he added.
Tripathy said the state has acute shortage of university teachers and guides for PhD scholars. Increase in retirement age of these teachers will partly solve the teacher and guide shortage, he added.
The teachers also demanded the government to increase their salary according to the recommendations of the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 2016. “After approving the 7th UGC pay scales, the ministry of human resource development had sent it for implementation by the respective states. Odisha has started the process, but it is yet to be implemented,” they added.
Tripathy said they will wear black badges till November 9. “If the state government does not fulfill our demands, our members will stage one-hour relay dharna every day during lunch hour in their universities between November 12 and 17. Later we will organise mass rally from OUAT to Raj Bhawan here on November 19 and candle light march on November 26 from Ram Mandir to Lower PMG seeking fulfillment of their demands,” he added.
If the government does not pay heed to their demands, the teachers said they will start relay hunger strike and intensify their stir. The federation had conducted similar stir this year between July 23 and August 31.
FOUTA convener Santosh Tripathy said almost all the states in the country have increased superannuation age of university teachers from 60 to 65, but Odisha has not done it so far. “We urge the state government, which follows UGC norms and best practices, to consider our demands,” he added.
Tripathy said the state has acute shortage of university teachers and guides for PhD scholars. Increase in retirement age of these teachers will partly solve the teacher and guide shortage, he added.
The teachers also demanded the government to increase their salary according to the recommendations of the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 2016. “After approving the 7th UGC pay scales, the ministry of human resource development had sent it for implementation by the respective states. Odisha has started the process, but it is yet to be implemented,” they added.
Tripathy said they will wear black badges till November 9. “If the state government does not fulfill our demands, our members will stage one-hour relay dharna every day during lunch hour in their universities between November 12 and 17. Later we will organise mass rally from OUAT to Raj Bhawan here on November 19 and candle light march on November 26 from Ram Mandir to Lower PMG seeking fulfillment of their demands,” he added.
If the government does not pay heed to their demands, the teachers said they will start relay hunger strike and intensify their stir. The federation had conducted similar stir this year between July 23 and August 31.
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