Nabarangpur, 19th Sept 2025: The New Pension Scheme Teachers’ Association of Government High Schools in Nabarangpur district organized a protest rally and meeting demanding justice for teachers appointed between 2004 and 2013. Active members of the association from all 10 blocks of the district participated in large numbers.
These teachers, who were appointed as contractual teachers during the financial crisis of the Odisha Government, rendered their services at meager salaries of ₹2500 or ₹1500 per month, depending on the year of appointment. The government’s recruitment notifications in 2003 and 2005 clearly stated that due to the severe financial crunch and shortage of teachers in secondary schools, appointments were being made on a contractual basis.
Despite such challenging conditions, these teachers contributed significantly to improving education in struggling government schools. At the time, Matriculation exam results ranged from 50% to 60%, with some schools even recording zero results. The appointment of these teachers helped the government maintain education delivery while managing its financial constraints.
As the state’s financial condition gradually improved, both the education system and secondary education outcomes improved. However, instead of recognizing their contributions, the government brought in the Repeal Rule in 2022, ignoring the efforts and service of these teachers.
Even today, contractual appointments have not been entirely abolished across all departments in Odisha. In 2023, the government issued an SOP amending the 2022 Repeal Rule, considering teachers appointed between 2010 and 2015 as regular teachers retrospectively, while those appointed prior to 2010, despite serving during the state’s darkest financial period, were completely left out.
The association has alleged that the government forgot the sacrifices of those teachers due to the influence of certain vested interests. To oppose this injustice, the association has repeatedly organized rallies, sit-ins, and submitted memoranda to key leaders including the then Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, Education Secretary, and Leader of the Opposition.
During one such protest in Bhubaneswar, the then Opposition Leader, who is now the Hon’ble Chief Minister, visited the protest site and acknowledged the validity of their demands.
Since the formation of the new government, the association has held several rounds of discussions with government MLAs and the Hon’ble Education Minister. Despite receiving verbal assurances, the government has taken no concrete steps to resolve the issue.
Even after the publication of the Repeal Rule 2022, there has been unjustified delay in releasing the seniority list of trained teachers. In Odisha, out of around 4,800 government secondary schools, nearly 4,500 principals were promoted based on such seniority lists.
Currently, although around 1,800 schools have headmasters, more than 2,700 schools are running without a permanent headmaster, relying solely on acting headmasters. This clearly reflects the crisis in secondary education in Odisha due to lack of leadership in schools.
In light of all these issues, the association organized this district-level protest rally to submit a demand letter to the government, requesting the following:
> The only demand is that the 6-year contractual service of teachers appointed between 2004 and 2013 in government high schools of Odisha should be counted as regular service, and they should be granted six notional increments at the earliest.
If the government fails to fulfill this legitimate demand, the association has declared that all members will collectively participate in the statewide protest to be held at Lower PMG, Bhubaneswar, on 22nd September 2025. The association has also stated that the movement will continue indefinitely until justice is served.