Equal work, unequal pay: Gujarat professors triumph after years of struggle

SC verdict brings relief from state government’s ‘economic exploitation’

Ahmedabad: "You have no idea what kind of hardship I've endured since joining the service on a contractual basis back in 2012. And I’m not alone — there are hundreds of youngsters like me. Many couldn’t sustain themselves and resigned, taking up other jobs just to survive," said an assistant professor at a Gujarat government-run engineering college. He spoke to DH on condition of anonymity, fearing that the government might misconstrue his remarks and terminate his services.

He was among the petitioners who approached the Supreme Court seeking "equal pay for equal work". Their primary contention was that contractual workers, despite performing identical duties and responsibilities, were paid less than those appointed on an ad hoc or regular basis.

On August 22, in a landmark judgment, the apex court directed the Gujarat government to provide the petitioners with a minimum pay scale on par with regular assistant professors. The court observed that it was “disturbing that assistant professors are getting monthly emoluments of Rs 30,000.”

"I don’t have exact figures, but there was a time when there were over 600 assistant professors like me. Today, there are barely 200. Many were terminated, many resigned, and a few managed to crack the Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) exam to become regular faculty. But for those of us who have stayed, surviving on Rs 30,000 a month — without any service benefits like paid leave, provident fund or other entitlements — life is a constant struggle," said the assistant professor.

A retired IAS officer noted that since the early 2000s, the state government has been relying on contractual or fixed-pay employees across departments, be it education, health or revenue services. Even in policing, the government has leaned heavily on fixed-pay arrangements, appointing constables and other lower-rank personnel on a contractual basis.

The petitioners had moved the SC, pointing out that while contractual workers had been paid a meagre Rs 30,000 per month since 2008, ad hoc and regular professors received Rs 1.16 lakh and Rs 1.37 lakh per month, respectively.

If the state government revises the pay scale following the verdict, contractual assistant professors could receive between Rs 80,000 and Rs 90,000 a month.

Oppn welcomes ruling

The Opposition Congress welcomed the court’s decision and criticised the state government, saying that "its policy has been to economically exploit the youth of the state for years".

"For the past 15–20 years, over seven lakh employees across various government departments, ministries and boards and corporations have been working on contract, falling victim to economic exploitation,” said Manish Doshi, media convener of the Gujarat Congress.

In its judgment, the apex court observed, "It is simply not enough to keep reciting Gurubrahma Gururvishnu Gurudevo Maheshwarah at public functions. If we truly believe in this invocation, it must be reflected in how the nation treats its teachers.”