“A society that cannot pay its teachers what they deserve shouldn’t be surprised when they leave—or worse, when students stop aspiring to be educators.”
At a time when nations across the globe are doubling down on investments in education, the Higher Education Department of Jammu and Kashmir appears to be moving in reverse gear. The crisis is not new—but it has reached a breaking point. With over 1,000 vacant posts of Assistant Professors, Librarians, and Physical Training Instructors lying unfilled across the Union Territory, the Government’s continued silence raises a fundamental question: Why can’t J&K pay and retain its educators? Of the 1,012 vacant posts, only 476 have seen any real progress—recommendations or selections—while a concerning 364 positions remain unresolved, with another 150 posts currently under review. This is not a staffing shortage; it’s a structural failure. More than numbers, this is about priorities. A society that cannot pay its teachers what they deserve shouldn’t be surprised when they leave—or worse, when students stop aspiring to be educators. The Government’s over-reliance on academic arrangements—contractual positions with no job security, dismal pay, and zero post-vacation benefits—has turned what should be a respectable academic environment into a precarious gig economy. Most of these lecturers are Master’s or PhD holders. That they are paid just Rs 28,000 per month—less than what an entry-level technician earns in many Government departments—is not just unfair, it’s unsustainable. Worse, their long-standing demand for a salary hike to Rs 57,000, as per UGC guidelines, has been gathering dust in the Finance Department. Despite the obvious merit of the proposal, no approval has come through. The same applies to the demand for vacation salaries, a basic entitlement in any civilised academic framework. Instead, J&K’s academic arrangement staff are left without pay during breaks, with the unpaid vacation period now reduced arbitrarily from 60 to 50 days.
“If J&K cannot offer competitive, dignified salaries to its Assistant Professors and academic staff, it cannot expect them to stay. And without them, the dream of a robust, reformed higher education sector will remain just that—a dream.”
A marginal improvement that solves nothing. The truth is that many of these temporary staff treat their positions like internships—not out of choice, but because that’s how the system treats them. They come in, gain some experience, and leave at the first opportunity for a more stable career—most often outside the UT or even the country. And who could blame them? It’s time the Government accepts that talent won’t wait. If J&K cannot offer competitive, dignified salaries to its Assistant Professors and academic staff, it cannot expect them to stay. And without them, the dream of a robust, reformed higher education sector will remain just that—a dream. This crisis demands more than cosmetic solutions or another round of file movement between departments. It requires a structural, policy-level intervention: Immediate approval and implementation of the Rs 57,000 salary as per UGC norms. Clear recruitment timelines to fill the remaining 364 vacant posts, and those under review. A comprehensive benefits policy, including vacation salaries and health cover for academic arrangement staff. Creation of a transparent, long-term roadmap to absorb qualified temporary staff into permanent roles. Education isn’t just another department on the bureaucratic roster. It is the foundation of progress, innovation, and social mobility. The youth of J&K deserve access to committed, motivated educators—and educators deserve to be treated with dignity and fairness. If the Government truly believes in the transformative power of education, it must first begin by valuing those who deliver it.
