Puducherry teachers' sit-in enters third day, demand withdrawal of career advancement order
The indefinite sit-in protest by assistant professors from government arts and science colleges in Puducherry entered its third day on Wednesday, with teachers vowing to continue until all their demands are fully met. The protest began on Monday at Tagore Arts College campus, where faculty members are demanding the withdrawal of a Government Order (G.O.) on the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS).
The G.O. in question, issued on August 2, 2026, implements the CAS for college teachers under the 2010 University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations. According to the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Assistant Professors, the order provides for prospective implementation of the scheme, effectively cutting off arrears that teachers are entitled to. K. Balamurugan, convenor of the JAC, said the G.O. recommends only prospective implementation, which would deny teachers the financial benefits they have been expecting.
The Puducherry government had earlier issued orders on September 29, 2014, and January 5, 2015, based on the 2010 UGC Regulations. Under these orders, the Academic Grade Pay (AGP) for assistant professors was raised from ₹6,000 to ₹7,000 with retrospective effect. This meant that eligible teachers were entitled to arrears from the date of their promotion or qualification.
A faculty member, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Office of the Lt. Governor of Puducherry had directed the government to pay the arrears retrospectively along with 6 per cent interest. The Directorate of Higher and Technical Education (DHTE) had calculated the arrears and forwarded the file to the government, the faculty member added. According to the JAC, the directive from the Lt. Governor's office was a clear instruction to release the arrears, and the teachers had been awaiting the payment. However, the latest G.O. disregards this direction entirely.
The committee claims that the new G.O. denies monetary benefits to 145 faculty members attached to seven government colleges in the Union Territory. As a result, these teachers have been denied benefits for 16 years of service. The JAC has described the move as unjust and has called for the immediate withdrawal of the G.O.
The JAC further said that teachers have been making representations to the government for several years, pointing out that the retrospective effect of the AGP was sanctioned by the Lt. Governor's office. The committee also noted that the DHTE had completed its calculations and sent the file to the government for approval, but the new G.O. has overruled that process.
K. Sankaraiyah, Joint Convenor of the committee, demanded that the G.O. be withdrawn at the earliest. He also urged the government to implement the AGP through the selection committee without delay. 'We will continue our protest until our demands are met,' he said.
The Career Advancement Scheme is a mechanism for career progression of teachers in higher education institutions, based on UGC Regulations. Under the scheme, teachers can move to higher academic grades after completing certain years of service and meeting other criteria. The 2010 Regulations introduced the concept of Academic Grade Pay for assistant professors, which is an additional pay scale granted after a certain number of years of service. The revision of AGP from ₹6,000 to ₹7,000 was a part of these regulations, and its retrospective application has been a contentious issue in various states.
No official response from the Puducherry government was available at the time of reporting. The teachers have remained at the protest site, and the sit-in is expected to continue until the government addresses their concerns.
