Sudhanshu Sharma
Shimla
A delegation of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), the united forum of teachers’ associations from all universities and colleges across Himachal Pradesh, met Hon’ble Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Shri Kavinder Gupta, at Lok Bhavan under the leadership of President Prof. Janardan Singh and General Secretary Dr. Nitin Vyas.
During this crucial meeting, the delegation apprised the Governor of the pressing challenges faced by higher education institutions in the state, with special emphasis on the immediate reinstatement of the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS).
The delegation submitted a memorandum highlighting that since 2022, the CAS process has been arbitrarily stalled by the state government, directly affecting nearly 1,500–2,000 teachers across universities and colleges. As per University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, CAS is a mandatory promotion mechanism, and halting it not only violates teachers’ rights but also obstructs the growth of the higher education system.
JAC members stressed that CAS promotions are not merely about salary increments but are intrinsically linked to academic progress, research, innovation, and quality enhancement. Suspending such a transparent and established process demoralizes teachers, diminishes their enthusiasm, and ultimately impacts the quality of education imparted to students.
The committee strongly criticized the government’s discriminatory stance, pointing out that while promotion processes in other services continue regularly, only university and college teachers are being denied their statutory rights. This, they argued, is unconstitutional and unjust to the education system.
The delegation further alleged that certain senior administrative officials, particularly IAS officers at the level of Finance Secretary and Education Secretary, have misled the government with incomplete and inaccurate data, creating a false impression that CAS would impose an unbearable financial burden on the state. JAC clarified that a factual analysis would prove otherwise.
Concerns were also raised about the negative impact of the stalled CAS process on NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) grading, which evaluates institutions based on faculty quality, research, promotions, and academic activities. Without CAS, the grading of Himachal’s institutions is bound to suffer, tarnishing the state’s academic reputation nationally.
The delegation highlighted the deteriorating condition of major universities such as Himachal Pradesh University, CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University, Sardar Patel University Mandi, and Himachal Pradesh Technical University, which are struggling due to government neglect, lack of resources, and denial of teachers’ rights.
JAC warned that if these issues remain unresolved, the state’s higher education system will face long-term setbacks, including declining academic standards, weakened research output, and loss of talent. They emphasized that investment in education should be seen as future capital, not expenditure, and criticized the government’s misplaced priorities.
The Hon’ble Governor listened attentively and assured the delegation of necessary intervention, promising to seek detailed information from concerned officials and the government. He reiterated that maintaining the quality of higher education is imperative and cannot be compromised.
JAC urged the Governor to direct the state government to immediately reinstate CAS, thereby ending the injustice faced by teachers and strengthening the higher education system.
The delegation included Dr. Pradeep, Dr. Sunil, Dr. Anjali, Dr. Ajay Atri, and Dr. Balak Ram Thakur, along with representatives from various universities and colleges. All members unanimously declared the restoration of CAS as the most urgent demand of the teaching community.
Finally, JAC issued a stern warning that if CAS is not reinstated promptly, a statewide agitation will be launched, for which the government will bear full responsibility. The teacher community is now prepared for a decisive struggle to safeguard its rights and will not tolerate further neglect.
