A major agitation was launched by approximately 1,400 contractual assistant professors across 14 state universities in Haryana, intensifying their demand for long-term job security. Organized under the banner of the Haryana Universities Contractual Teachers’ Association (HUCTA), the educators are pressing the state government to introduce a “Service Security Bill” in the upcoming assembly session.
-
The Demand for 60: The primary demand is the enactment of a law that ensures employment security until the age of 60, similar to the protections recently granted to extension lecturers in government colleges.
-
A “Step-Motherly” Treatment: Protestors pointed out a glaring disparity: while the government passed the Service Security Act-2024 for college lecturers, university faculty with identical Ph.D. and NET qualifications remain excluded.
-
Financial & Professional Risks: Currently earning a consolidated salary of ₹57,700, many of these professors have served for over a decade. They fear that fresh recruitments through the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) will lead to their immediate termination despite years of dedicated service.
Administrative Standstill: While Higher Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda has assured that the matter is under discussion with Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, the file reportedly remains pending for final departmental approval. HUCTA leaders have warned that if an ordinance or bill is not tabled soon, they will escalate their “stir” into a statewide strike affecting academic activities across all 14 universities.
