Contract Assistant Professors from 12 Telangana universities temporarily withdraw strike

Hyderabad: Contract Assistant Professors from 12 state universities in Telangana have temporarily withdrawn their indefinite strike, which entered its 12th day today. The decision came after government intervention and assurances that their demands are being considered.

The protest initially began 24 days ago on university campuses across the state, with the indefinite strike starting 11 days later. The key demand of the striking professors has been the regularization of their services.

On Tuesday, a delegation representing the contract assistant professors on strike met K. Keshav Rao, Advisor to the Government of Telangana, at his residence. Keshav Rao assured the delegation that the government is examining their demands. He urged them to call off the strike and advised them to meet the Chairman of the Higher Education Council and other officials for further discussions.

Following government instructions, the Higher Education Council Chairman directed the Vice Chancellors of the respective universities to visit the strike sites and address the protesting faculty. The Vice Chancellors, along with Registrars and Officers on Special Duty (OSDs), met the teachers and conveyed the government's commitment to implementing the 7th Pay Revision Commission (PRC), which includes Basic Pay, Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), and a 3% annual increment.

Officials stated that the implementation process requires time due to legal and financial procedures. They appealed to the teachers to return to work while the process is underway.

In response, the contract faculty agreed to withdraw the strike temporarily and resume academic duties.