After a decade on probation, Chandigarh teachers to go on hunger strike tomorrow
Ten years after joining service, teachers recruited in 2015 under the Chandigarh Education Department are still awaiting confirmation. With no progress despite favourable court orders, the Joint Teachers Association (JTA) on Monday announced a hunger strike on Guru Purnima (July 10), calling it a symbolic protest for 'dignity and justice'.
At a press conference held at the Chandigarh Press Club, JTA president Ranbir Jhorar said, 'we're raising our voices here because no one else is listening. When any employee is exhausted by the struggle, the media becomes the only hope'.
The teachers were recruited in 2015, but a paper leak in Punjab led to a criminal investigation. While 49 names surfaced, only six were charge-sheeted. 'The SIT cleared the rest, and yet the department continues to treat the entire batch as suspect,' Jhorar said. He added that three challans were filed between 2017 and 2021, effectively closing the investigation for most.
Though the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) quashed the government's 2018 cancellation of the recruitment and the high court upheld that order in 2019, the administration filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court. 'But there's no stay,' Jhorar pointed out, adding, 'why are we being punished when there is no legal bar'.
He called the never-ending probation 'the biggest torture,' stating that government rules allow probation to be extended only once, up to a maximum of two years. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) also mandates confirmation after successful completion of the probation period. 'There's no written communication of misconduct or failure, so what's the justification for the delay,' he asked.
The JTA also raised concerns about 2023 recruits under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) not being given 7th Pay Commission (CPC) benefits. 'They joined after April 1, 2022, when central pay rules were already in force, but are still stuck on outdated pay scales,' Jhorar said. He blamed the delay on the DoPT's failure to issue cadre-specific orders.
In addition, the association highlighted that deputationist teachers from Punjab and Haryana working in Chandigarh schools were not being given due seniority, despite a 1999 Supreme Court ruling (Roop Lal vs. Lt. Governor). 'This violates Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution,' the JTA chief said.
The teachers plan to escalate their protest if their demands are ignored. 'This is not a fight against the department, but for the enforcement of rules and court orders,' Jhorar said. The association has submitted detailed representations up to the Chief Secretary and even secured political support, with BJP Chandigarh president Jatinder Malhotra writing to Union Home Minister Amit Shah in March.
'Even IAS and IPS officers whose cases are pending in court are serving in regular roles. Why are rules applied differently to us?' Jhorar asked, concluding, 'if rules exist, they must apply equally — not be bent at will.'
The writers are interns with The Indian Express
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