Protests erupt in Himachal Pradesh over ‘betrayal’ as Sukhu govt revives Guest Teacher Policy

Approved last week, the policy proposes hiring temporary teachers. Stopgap arrangements eventually eat into the share of deserving candidates waiting for recruitment, say protesters.

At a protest against the Guest Teacher Policy in Himachal | X/@AshishSharma_70

Shimla: Nearly a year after shelving the Guest Teacher Policy, the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Himachal Pradesh government has revived the contentious policy despite fierce opposition by unemployed youth and political rivals.

The policy — approved in the 12 December state cabinet meeting — proposes hiring temporary teachers per period to address faculty shortages in government schools and colleges.

Its revival has sparked concerns over the Congress government’s “betrayal” among the unemployed, who have been demanding the creation of regular, permanent posts instead of short-term, stopgap arrangements.

On Monday, members of the Shikshit Berojgar Sangh (Educated Unemployed Association) staged a large-scale protest in Shimla, raising slogans against the Congress government.

The demonstrators called the policy “a setback to the future of educated youth” who have been waiting for full-time government jobs, as promised in the run-up to the 2022 assembly elections.

Policy details

Under the newly approved Guest Teacher Policy, temporary educators will be paid hourly — Rs 200 per period in primary schools, Rs 250 in middle schools, Rs 400 in senior secondary schools, and Rs 500 in colleges.

Himachal Pradesh Education Minister Rohit Thakur defended the policy, emphasising its role as a “stopgap arrangement” to ensure continuity in imparting education to students.

“This is not a replacement for regular recruitment. The policy specifically aims to bridge the gap when teachers go on leave or when posts remain vacant due to delays in permanent appointments,” Thakur told ThePrint.

He added that the Cabinet is simultaneously working to fill over 6,000 vacant teaching posts through regular recruitment.

Calling the policy “misunderstood”, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also clarified what it entailed.

“This initiative is to ensure that students’ studies are not disrupted due to teacher absences. Qualified teachers — often retired educators — will be engaged temporarily to maintain academic continuity,” Sukhu said.

Student organisations hit back

Despite assurances, youth organisations and political opponents remain unconvinced.

Bal Krishan, a leading voice in the association protesting the move, questioned the implications of the policy on long-term employment prospects.

“Stopgap arrangements, such as this, eventually eat into the share of deserving candidates waiting for recruitment. Look at the past — PTAs (Parent-Teacher Associations) were regularised, and aspirants who followed due processes were left waiting,” he said.

Student organisations across the ideological spectrum — Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Student Federation of India (SFI), and Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) — have united to oppose the move.

NSUI’s Himachal Pradesh president Toni Thakur drew parallels to the controversial Agniveer scheme, remarking, “Guest teachers will become ‘Shikshaveers’ — temporary educators with no job security. This must not happen in Himachal Pradesh. The youth trusted the Congress, and we will ensure this trust is not broken.”

The protests escalated on Monday as demonstrators threatened to lay siege to the upcoming winter session of the state assembly in Dharamshala — scheduled for 18 December.

The Shikshit Berojgar Sangh warned of a “gherao” of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should the government fail to withdraw the policy.

Political fallout   

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seized the opportunity to criticise the Congress government for allegedly reneging on electoral promises.

BJP’s state chief spokesperson, Rakesh Jamwal, accused the Sukhu administration of “insulting” the educated unemployed by replacing permanent jobs with “exploitative” policies.

“The Congress promised one lakh jobs annually but has failed miserably. Instead, it has abolished 1.5 lakh posts, terminated 10,000 outsourced employees and introduced a policy that mocks the aspirations of our youth,” Jamwal said in a statement.

The BJP also pointed to the broader employment crisis, claiming that jobs provided by the Congress government, so far, have either been outsourced or entailed low-paying contractual positions.

Why policy was shelved

The Guest Teacher Policy was shelved in January 2024 amid widespread backlash and protests from youth groups who argued that temporary measures undermine the recruitment of permanent employees. At the time, the government cited the need for further consultations and formulation of a more “inclusive and effective” policy.

However, with increasing gaps in teaching staff across government institutes, the Cabinet reintroduced the policy as an immediate step to address the crisis.

Vikrant Chauhan, a student leader from Himachal Pradesh University, criticised the government for following in the footsteps of its predecessor. “Both governments have prioritised outsourced and stopgap employment over regular appointments. Where are the full-time jobs the Congress promised? Most appointments, so far, have been on paltry salaries of Rs 5,000 per month,” he told ThePrint.

Future of policy   

In response to the growing outcry, the education minister said the policy would not jeopardise ongoing recruitment processes and promised a standard operating procedure (SOP) to ensure transparent and fair hiring of guest teachers.

“The previous government left the education system in shambles. While we work on filling permanent posts, this policy is a necessary intervention to address immediate staffing needs,” Thakur said.

However, the protests show no signs of abating, with unemployed youth and political parties continuing to press for the withdrawal of the policy, demanding the Congress government fulfil job creation promises.

Meanwhile, reacting to the ongoing agitation, Naresh Chauhan, media advisor to CM Sukhu, accused opposition parties of “misguiding the educated youth”.

Defending the Guest Teacher Policy, Chauhan emphasised that part-time teachers are only a stopgap arrangement to ensure that classroom teaching does not suffer when regular teachers are on leave.

“There is no reason for the youth to worry as no regular appointments are being compromised. The policy strictly addresses temporary gaps in the education system. Moreover, the government is already in the process of appointing 6,000 teachers soon,” Chauhan said.

However, the BJP remains sharply critical of the policy.

BJP spokesperson Karan Nanda accused the Congress government of “betraying the youth” and called the move “insensitive and unjust.”

“The Congress government has shattered the dreams of thousands of youth by abolishing 1.5 lakh posts and terminating 10,000 outsourced employees. Instead of fulfilling their promise of regular employment, they are introducing exploitative measures, such as the guest teacher policy,” Nanda said.

The BJP has vowed to support the demands of the protesting youth and called for the immediate withdrawal of the policy. “We will not let the Congress government play with the future of our educated youth,” Nanda added.

(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)