Bhubaneswar: The state units of the Hindi Teachers’ Association and Utkal Trained Sanskrit Teachers’ Association jointly staged a protest and began an indefinite hunger strike Thursday here at Lower PMG Square, demanding the immediate implementation of the new draft cadre rule for high school teachers.
According to the associations, the education department finalised the new cadre rule several months ago, but they have yet to receive approval, leaving the matter unresolved.
Despite repeated appeals, the process has not progressed, they added. Currently, according to the government norm, each high school in the state has six teachers: two for arts, one each for mathematics, science, Hindi, and Sanskrit.
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Teachers from both associations noted that all six hold similar qualifications, perform comparable duties, and receive equal salaries.
They argued that service conditions and promotional opportunities should likewise be uniform. However, they alleged that under the outdated 1993 cadre rule, Hindi and Sanskrit teachers are being denied equal treatment.
While teachers of other subjects have broader promotion opportunities, including elevation to headmaster positions across districts, language teachers face restrictions and discriminatory barriers in career advancement.
Despite a discussion with the Education Secretary in November last year, where officials acknowledged the inconsistencies, no concrete action has been taken so far.
The associations also emphasised that implementing the revised cadre rule would not impose any additional financial burden on the government.
“After waiting for decades, we have no choice but to protest democratically. Unless the government approves the new cadre rule, we will continue our hunger strike,” declared the leaders of the associations.
PNN
