Editor,
The Supreme Court’s recent judgment is not merely a legal directive. It is a powerful moral indictment of how India, and particularly states like Meghalaya, treat their teachers. In holding that “when educators are not treated with dignity or offered respectable emoluments, it diminishes the value a country places on knowledge,” the apex court has exposed a deep rot within the education system. The bench rightly emphasised that paying Assistant Professors a mere ₹30,000 per month is unacceptable and undermines the very foundation of intellectual development in the nation. This observation is not just relevant to Gujarat, but resonates with alarming clarity in Meghalaya, where the same exploitative practices are rampant and even more deeply rooted.
Across Meghalaya, government-aided colleges have adopted a cynical strategy. They surrender sanctioned regular teaching posts approved by the government only to refill them with contractual teachers at a meagre salary of ₹30,000 per month. This is not an isolated incident but a systemic pattern designed to bypass fair pay structures and avoid long-term financial responsibility. While these institutions demand full compliance with UGC regulations like NET/SLET and PhD but they brazenly ignore the UGC-mandated pay scales. This hypocrisy is indefensible. How can one invoke the UGC Regulations to filter out candidates, yet discard it when it comes to paying those who are hired? It is a betrayal of trust and a violation of professional equity.
The exploitation runs even deeper when it comes to guest lecturers, who are paid a mere ₹500 per class. These are not casual workers; they are highly qualified professionals, many holding PhDs and years of teaching experience. Yet, they are paid less than the legally mandated minimum wage in Meghalaya, where the revised rates effective from April 1, 2025 stand at ₹541 per day for unskilled workers and ₹665 for highly skilled ones. When you consider the hours spent on lesson planning, evaluation, and mentoring students, this paltry sum amounts to nothing short of academic exploitation. How can a state claim to value education when it pays its teachers less than it does skilled labourers? Treating teachers as disposable labour disrespects their work and shows that, in Meghalaya, teaching is seen not as a real profession, but as a favour given in small, inadequate amounts. This is not just underpayment, it is the institutional erosion of academic dignity.
The consequences of such policies are devastating. When teachers are underpaid and insecure, motivation plummets. Research, innovation, evaluation and curriculum development suffer. Students, in turn, receive substandard education from overburdened, under-appreciated instructors. The Supreme Court rightly observed that teachers are the intellectual backbone of the nation – shaping minds, nurturing values, and building the country’s future. Yet, in Meghalaya, this backbone is being systematically weakened. By refusing to grant parity in pay and denying regularisation, the state is creating a two-tier education system: one for the few in permanent posts, and another for the many who are expected to deliver the same quality of work without job security, benefits, or respect.
The Government of Meghalaya and its affiliated colleges must be held accountable. They cannot continue to recite “gurubramha gururvishnu gurudevo maheshwarah” during ceremonial functions while subjecting teachers to abject financial conditions. The court’s directive to ensure fair remuneration and uphold the principle of equal pay for equal work must be implemented without delay. All contractual Assistant Professors who perform the same duties as their regular counterparts must be paid at least the minimum scale of the regular pay structure, with arrears calculated at 8% for the preceding three years, as mandated by the Supreme Court.
Moreover, there must be a comprehensive audit of all surrendered posts and the reasons behind their replacement with contractual hires. And where is the voice of the so-called student guardians of the future, the Khasi Student Union, Jaintia Students Union, and Garo Students Union? Silent while their teachers are insulted, their education compromised, and their own futures undermined? When will they wake up and ask why the state is building their classrooms on broken backs and empty promises?
The practice of avoiding permanent appointments to save costs must end. Long-serving contractual faculty , many of whom have taught for over a decade must be considered for regularisation. Guest lecturer pay must be revised to at least ₹2,000 per class to reflect the true value of their work.
Ultimately, Meghalaya stands at a defining moment. It can either continue down the path of neglect where knowledge is ignored, teachers are discarded, and education is reduced to mere transaction or it can choose the path of pride, progress, and principle. A path that honours its teachers not just in speeches, but in salary and status. Honour UGC norms not just when convenient, but with true commitment, and create a public education system that truly matches the potential of the young minds it serves.
The Supreme Court has spoken. Now, the state must answer not with excuses, but with action. The future of education in Meghalaya depends on it.
Yours etc.,
Tynshain K Lyngdoh,
Via email
Meghalaya’s First State University – A Beacon of Hope
Editor,
Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I wish to reflect on the historic establishment of Meghalaya’s first State University – Captain Williamson Sangma State University (CWSSU), which has just welcomed its inaugural batch of 274 students across Tura and Shillong.
This achievement is indeed a milestone worthy of honour and gratitude. Conceived in 2011 and realized after years of perseverance, the university now stands as a testament to the government’s vision and commitment to expanding access to higher education. By choosing to bypass CUET, the State has ensured that no deserving student is left behind, thereby widening the academic horizon for many. The bouquet of postgraduate programmes — from Garo and Khasi to Environmental Science, Political Science, and Social Work — beautifully blends local identity with global relevance.
The establishment of CWSSU is not merely an infrastructural triumph; it is a cradle of ideas, a lighthouse for knowledge, and a foundation for future leadership. It promises to create new avenues of research, conserve indigenous wisdom, and open pathways of employment for the youth of Meghalaya.
The government deserves to be commended for transforming a long-cherished dream into reality. Yet, the greater responsibility now lies in nurturing this institution with robust infrastructure, competent faculty, transparent governance, and visionary policies. If sustained with dedication, CWSSU can truly become the jewel in Meghalaya’s academic crown and a catalyst for socio-economic transformation.
This is not just the birth of a University; it is the dawn of a new chapter in Meghalaya’s educational journey, carrying with it the hopes and aspirations of countless young minds.
Yours etc.,
Jairaj Chhetry,
Via email