Teachers' association hails state government's decision to absorb contractual professors

• DIMAPUR — As the call to revoke the absorption of 147 contractual assistant professors under Higher Education department continues to grow louder, the All Nagaland Government College Teachers’ Association (ANGCTA) has requested Nagaland government to uphold the appointments.
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• In a letter addressed to the chief secretary, the association reiterated its unambiguous support of the contractual teachers, recognising them as bona fide members of the ANGCTA.
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• The letter highlighted their crucial contribution to the growth of government colleges in Nagaland, despite facing significantly lower salaries and fewer benefits compared to their regular colleagues.
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• “It is at this juncture, the ANGCTA highly acknowledges the government’s decision to recompense the many years of services rendered by our contractual colleagues,” it stated.
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• The association emphasised the invaluable participation and contributions of these contractual teachers to the academic excellence of government institutions. It argued that their dedication and expertise, accumulated over many years, have become indispensable to the effective functioning of the colleges.
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• “The ANGCTA reiterates its full support in the government’s decision in absorbing them, having full faith in their services. This act of trust shown by the government upon the contractual teachers will surely boost their morale and further enhance their dedication towards professionalism in uplifting the government colleges of Nagaland,” the letter read.

Related stories: Nagaland: Protest intensifies over 'backdoor' regularisation

Naga Students’ Federation demands rollback of Cabinet decision to absorb assistant professors

• It cited five key points to reinforce their request for the government to not revoke the regularisation order: the order acknowledges the invaluable years of service these teachers have dedicated; most government colleges face a critical shortage of teaching faculty, which will be further exacerbated by the implementation of the Four Year Undergraduate Programme; a majority of the absorbed contractual teachers are beyond the typical age for employment and have dedicated their prime years to serving students; these teachers possess the necessary experience and expertise in their respective colleges, rendering them “unpartable”; several colleges under Higher Education department offer Masters and PhD courses, requiring experienced instructors—many of the absorbed teachers are actively involved in these courses, a fact attested to by college principals and staff.
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• Meanwhile, the All India Federation of University and College Teachers' Organisations (AIFUCTO) has lauded the state government's decision to absorb contractual assistant professors, calling it a “bold decision”.
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• In a letter addressed to the chief minister and the minister of Higher Education, the AIFUCTO expressed its appreciation for the government's swift action, noting that the organisation had previously appealed for this measure in a representation dated July 6th, 2023.
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• "We believe this decision will be instrumental in fostering growth within the state's higher education sector,” it stated.
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• Peaceful demonstration
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• In related news, teachers and students of all government colleges in the state have been asked to organise and participate in a peaceful demonstration on April 21.
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• The demonstration aims to show solidarity with the newly regularised assistant professors and to acknowledge the state Cabinet's decision to regularise them as a one-time dispensation.