The All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO) has called for a nationwide demonstration/dharna on Friday against the anti-education attitude of the Central Government and UGC as the third phase of its movement.
A release issued by AIFUCTO president Professor M Nagarajan and general secretary, Professor Arun Kumar on Sunday stated that teachers of universities and colleges will stage demonstrations at every college/university unit of all states across the country on the day.
It mentioned that AIFUCTO has also called a nationwide protest on the day of Teachers’ Day, on September 5 by wearing black badges in protest against the current educational scenario.
It added that under the first phase of the letter campaign programme launched on August 31 and concluded on Sunday, many letters from units of AIFUCTO across the country have been sent to the Union Education Minister and the Chairman, UGC urging them to address the demands made.
It further stated that AIFUCTO has been seeking appointment with Union Minister of Education and UGC Chairman for long but to no avail. It lamented over the declining higher education academic scenario and alleged the central government of maintaining a stoic silence on the subject.
It mentioned that state level convention(s)/protest(s) will also be held on October 4 as Fourth Phase of the movement and as decided by its NEC (National Executive Council). It also listed the 26 demands made by AIFUCTO including to repeal NEP 2020; increase budget allocation on education to 10 per cent; abolish NEET, CUET and other centralised tests.
Demands to stop clustering, merging and phasing out of standalone and single stream educational institutions; restoration of Old Pension Scheme, ensuring uniform age of retirement at 65 for all universities and college teachers across the country; extending UGC scales of Pay and service conditions to all teachers of grants-in-aid institutions of all the states were also included in the list.
It also demanded that the Union government must disburse the 50 percent share of the 7th pay revision outlay to the state government immediately; persuade the state governments to implement the recommendations of the 7th pay revision in totality; grant professorship under CAS upon fulfilment of requisite criteria, to all teachers in government, and government aided colleges across the country; delink PhD for CAS promotion to Associate Professor and Professor.
It urged all state governments to implement UGC direction of the extension of date for RC/OC; to fill up of all teaching and non- teaching posts in a permanent and regular mode; to protect secular, scientific, democratic and federal character of education; to set up Eighth Pay Commission for central government employees immediately etc among others and demanded to fulfill the various demands included in the list.
The release further mentioned AIFUCTO stance on UPS declared by the Central Government, asserting that it is not in agreement with the UPS declared by the central government in the recent past. AIFUCTO remains steadfast in its demand for the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), it maintained.
