Odisha Teachers Protest with Demands to Mohan Govt

Bhubaneswar, Odisha : Thousands of teachers marched on Mahatma Gandhi Road in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, turning the stretch near the State Secretariat into a hub of protest. The Odisha teachers protest brought together two major federations representing school and college educators who demanded immediate reforms in the state’s education system.

Teachers carried placards, raised slogans, and listed their grievances in front of the media. They argued that the government has ignored them for too long while extending privileges to corporate-run schools.

Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhakta Charan Das joined the protest and criticized the ruling BJP. He said, “The Mohan government must stop deceiving teachers. It promotes private schools but leaves government institutions in distress.”

Although his remarks added political weight, teachers at the protest stressed that their struggle was about fairness and dignity, not politics.

The federations presented a clear list of demands:

• Provide pension rights to school and college teachers

• Nationalize new and fully grant-in-aid institutions

• Fill vacant teaching posts through fresh recruitment

• Grant six national increments to contractual teachers hired between 2004 and 2023

• Correct grade-pay anomalies and recognize seniority

• Restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in place of the New Pension System

• Raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 years

The Odisha State Private Teachers and Staff Association also asked the government to include teachers and employees hired between 2008 and 2018 under the grant-in-aid scheme.

Teacher leaders said they had visited the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell 12 times since the Mohan government came to power 14 months ago. Despite these appeals, the government has not taken meaningful steps to address their concerns.

Both the Odisha School College Teachers and Staff Federation and the Odisha State Private Teachers’ Employees Federation accused the government of ignoring genuine issues and creating unnecessary hurdles for educators.

The protesting federations warned that if the government refuses to act, they will expand the agitation across districts. Such a move could disrupt the academic calendar and affect students.

Educationists observing the protest said the standoff highlights the urgent need for dialogue. They argued that unless the government resolves these disputes, the state’s education system will continue to suffer.