Odisha SSB Lecturers Protest for UGC Pay Parity and Service Recognition
Thousands of State Selection Board (SSB) lecturers serving in aided colleges across Odisha staged a massive dharna at Mahatma Gandhi Marg in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. The protest, organised under the banner of Odisha SSB Lecturers’ Association (OSLA), saw around 1,500 lecturers demanding UGC pay parity, service recognition, and dignity, highlighting long-standing grievances in pay scales and employment status.
SSB Lecturers Demand UGC Pay Parity in Odisha
The lecturers allege they are currently being paid at the PGT scale – Level 10 with a grade pay (GP) of Rs 4,600, instead of the UGC assistant professor scale at Level 10 and academic grade pay (AGP) of Rs 6,000. They emphasised that Rule 9 of the Odisha Education Rules, 1974 mandates that teachers in aided institutions should receive the same pay and benefits as their government college counterparts, a provision that has reportedly been ignored for years.
Call for Recognition as Government Employees
Protesters highlighted the dual control structure where the Higher Education department recruits, transfers, and regulates SSB lecturers but does not accord them the status of government employees. This, they claim, forces lecturers to shoulder full academic responsibilities without enjoying legal or financial recognition. The agitators demanded full-service benefits including HRA, pension, leave encashment, gratuity, and eligibility for administrative positions within the department.
Redesignation as Assistant Professors Under 2016 Gazette Notification
The lecturers urged the government to formally redesignate all SSB lecturers as assistant professors, as per the 2016 Gazette Notification. They reiterated the demand for restoration of the UGC pay scale with Rs 6,000 AGP, insisting on the principle of equal pay for equal work to ensure dignity and financial fairness for educators across aided institutions.
Dharna Highlights the Struggle for Academic Rights in Odisha
The dharna at Mahatma Gandhi Marg drew attention to the decades-long struggle of SSB lecturers to achieve recognition and parity. The protest signifies a push for policy reform in the Higher Education sector, aiming to standardise pay scales and improve working conditions, thereby motivating educators and enhancing the quality of education across Odisha’s aided colleges.
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