Teachers protest, call for repeal of NEP 2020

Teachers from across the country gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for a massive protest dharna organised by the All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO). The demonstration, held in response to the nationwide call given by AIFUCTO, witnessed a strong turnout of educators who came together to voice their long-pending concerns over pay, pensions, service conditions and education policy.

The protest was led by Dr Vinay Sofat, national secretary of AIFUCTO and a teacher at DAV College, Amritsar. The gathering raised a unified set of demands, including the repeal of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which teachers argued is fuelling the privatisation of education and weakening job security.

The teachers also demanded the withdrawal of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, citing concerns over university autonomy, public funding and teachers’ service conditions. They sought restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for government teachers currently covered under the National Pension System (NPS) and opposed centralised examinations such as NEET and CUET, arguing that these reduce the role of states in education.

Other demands included the constitution of the 8th UGC Pay Commission and implementation of pending Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) promotions, a uniform retirement age of 65 years for degree college teachers, regularisation of guest, part-time and temporary teachers and an increase in government spending on education to 10 per cent of the national budget.

The teachers also participated in discussions on the National Education Policy 2020 and the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill.

“The protest was a show of solidarity and the collective resolve to safeguard teachers’ rights, academic autonomy and the federal character of education. It highlighted the growing concern among educators that government policies are systematically weakening the public education system,” said Dr Vinay Sofat.