SC: Reciting ‘guru brahma’ not enough if teachers get pittance | India News

NEW DELHI: Pained by the remedy meted out to teachers within the nation, Supreme Court has stated mere public recital of “guru brahma, guru vishnu, guru devo maheswarah” is meaningless if those that form future generations are paid a pittance.Criticising Gujarat authorities for paying contractual assistant professors Rs 30,000 a month regardless of them performing work much like advert hoc and common affiliate professors, who earn round Rs 1.2 lakh and Rs 1.4 lakh per 30 days, respectively, a bench of justices P S Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi stated, “We have a serious concern about the way we treat our teachers who educate our future generations, enable them to acquire the necessary qualifications and expertise.““Academicians, lecturers and professors are the intellectual backbone of any nation, as they dedicate their lives to shaping the minds and character of future generations. Their work goes far beyond delivering lessons – it involves mentoring, guiding research, nurturing critical thinking, and instilling values that contribute to the progress of society,” the bench stated.SC was troubled by the dearth of recognition of teachers’ invaluable contribution to society and the nation. “When educators are not treated with dignity or offered respectable emoluments, it diminishes the value a country places on knowledge and undermines the motivation of those entrusted with building its intellectual capital,” it stated.Dismissing Gujarat govt’s attraction in opposition to an HC order directing the state to comply with the “equal work, equal pay principle” in fixing emoluments for assistant professors in engineering faculties, the bench stated that solely by making certain truthful remuneration and dignified remedy can a nation affirm its dedication to the significance of their position and to high quality schooling, innovation and a brighter future for its youth.Referring to the case in hand, SC stated, “More than the justifiable claim for parity, it is rather disturbing to see how lecturers, holding the post of assistant professors, continue to be paid and subsist on such low salaries for almost two decades. We are informed that of the 2,720 sanctioned posts, only 923 posts were filled by regularly appointed staff. To address this shortage and to ensure continuity of academic activities, state govt has resorted to ad hoc and contractual appointments.““While 158 posts were filled by ad hoc appointments, 902 posts were filled on a contractual basis. This measure left 737 posts vacant, and this number in fact increased with the sanctioning of 525 new posts of assistant professors and 347 posts of lecturers. With a large number of sanctioned posts remaining vacant, state govt continues to make appointments on an ad hoc and contractual basis,” it stated.