The Supreme Court, expressing strong displeasure at the plight of educators in India, observed that ritualistic reverence towards teachers is hollow if they continue to be underpaid and undervalued.
A Bench comprising Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Joymalya Bagchi criticised the Gujarat Government for paying contractual assistant professors merely ₹30,000 per month, despite their work being equivalent to that of ad hoc and regular associate professors, who draw salaries of approximately ₹1.2–1.4 lakh.
“We have grave concerns about the way teachers are treated in this country. They educate future generations, equip them with knowledge and expertise, yet are expected to survive on meagre stipends,” the Court remarked, adding that academicians and professors form the “intellectual backbone of the nation".
The Bench underlined that the role of educators extends far beyond delivering lectures, it encompasses research guidance, mentoring, fostering critical thinking, and inculcating values essential for social progress. “When such individuals are not treated with dignity or offered fair remuneration, it reflects poorly on the value the nation places on knowledge itself,” the Court cautioned.
Dismissing the Gujarat Government’s appeal against a High Court directive, the Bench upheld the application of the ‘equal work, equal pay’ principle for assistant professors in state engineering colleges. The Court stressed that fair compensation and dignified treatment are essential if India is to ensure quality education, innovation, and a future driven by intellectual growth.
On the specific case, the Court noted with concern that many lecturers and assistant professors had been compelled to subsist on inadequate salaries for nearly two decades. Of the 2,720 sanctioned teaching posts, only 923 were filled on a regular basis. To keep academic activities running, the State resorted to 158 ad hoc appointments and 902 contractual appointments, leaving 737 positions unfilled. This shortage was further aggravated when 872 additional posts (525 assistant professors and 347 lecturers) were sanctioned but remained vacant.
The Court concluded that such systemic neglect of educators not only violates constitutional principles of fairness and equality but also undermines the country’s commitment to building a robust knowledge economy.
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