Education – National Teachers’ Unions Stage United Protest in New Delhi
Education – A large-scale demonstration by teachers’ organisations from across the country unfolded at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Thursday, marking a rare moment of collective action within the school education sector.
The protest was organised under the banner of the All India Joint Action Committee of Teachers’ Organisations (AIJACTO) and drew participation from multiple national-level unions. For the first time, teachers’ groups representing different regions and affiliations assembled on a single platform to demand solutions to issues they say have remained unresolved for years.
Rare Unity Among Teachers’ Organisations
Participants described the gathering as a significant step toward building a unified national voice for teachers. Representatives from various school education unions said the formation of AIJACTO reflected growing concern over policy decisions affecting educators across states.
Leaders at the protest noted that teachers often raise similar concerns in isolation, limiting their ability to influence policy. The joint action committee, they said, was created to address this gap by coordinating efforts at the national level and presenting demands collectively before the central government.
Leadership and Proceedings of the Protest
The day-long dharna was presided over by a four-member presidium consisting of C N Bharti, K Narasimha Reddy, Baswaraj Gurikar, and C L Rose. The presidium guided the proceedings and outlined the key demands that formed the basis of the protest.
Teacher leaders and education activists from several states addressed the gathering, sharing accounts of how recent policy decisions and administrative practices have affected working conditions, job security, and career progression for educators. Speakers emphasised that while education is a concurrent subject, the impact of national-level decisions is felt uniformly by teachers across the country.
Support from Members of Parliament
The protest received visible backing from a number of political leaders and Members of Parliament, who attended the event to express solidarity with the teachers. MPs including John Brittas, Selvaraj, V Sivadasan, Kumar Naik, Raja Ram Singh, and others interacted with the organisers and the assembled teachers.
Addressing the gathering, the parliamentarians assured participants that the concerns raised would be taken up in Parliament. They acknowledged the scale of participation and said the unified nature of the protest strengthened the case for serious discussion on teachers’ demands at the national level.
Supreme Court Ruling on TET at the Center
A major focus of the protest was the recent Supreme Court judgment related to the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). Under the ruling, in-service teachers who have more than five years of service remaining are required to clear the TET within a two-year period. Failure to do so could result in termination of service.
Teachers with less than five years of service left are exempt from termination under the judgment. However, they face restrictions on promotions if they do not qualify the test. Protesters argued that the ruling does not adequately account for the circumstances of long-serving teachers who were appointed under earlier norms.
Key Demands Raised by the Teachers
Participants demanded amendments to the Right to Education Act to address concerns arising from the judgment. They also called for the filing of a review or curative petition to reconsider the implications of the ruling on in-service teachers.
Another prominent demand was the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, which speakers said remains a major concern for teachers in several states. Protest leaders maintained that pension security is closely linked to the stability and dignity of the teaching profession.
As the demonstration concluded, organisers reiterated their intention to continue coordinated action until concrete steps are taken to address the issues raised.