Salary Dispute Grips Uttar Pradesh Teachers Under Madrasa Modernisation Scheme

After nearly six years of reportedly halted salaries for teachers under the Centre’s Madrasa Modernisation Scheme in Uttar Pradesh, the state government has now decided to discontinue the honorarium or extra payment that these teachers have been receiving since 2016. These educators, referred to as ‘modern’ teachers, claim they haven’t received regular salaries since 2017 and have been relying on the supplementary funds introduced by the state government in 2016, following earlier complaints about irregular salary disbursement.

Since December 18 last year, modern teachers, demanding their overdue salaries, have been staging protests at Lucknow’s Eco Garden. The teachers, who earn Rs 6,000 or Rs 12,000 monthly based on their educational qualifications under the Madrasa Modernisation Scheme, have been receiving ‘additional money’ (Rs 2,000 for graduates and Rs 3,000 for postgraduates) instead of regular salaries. The state government’s decision to cease this supplementary payment has led the teachers to escalate their protest.

Across 7,442 registered madrasas in Uttar Pradesh, there are more than 21,000 modern teachers, with approximately 8,000 from the Hindu community. These teachers instruct subjects like Hindi, English, maths, science, and social science to nearly 10 lakh students. Among the registered madrasas, 560 receive government aid. The chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Board, Iftikhar Ahmed Javed, confirmed on Wednesday the government’s resolution to discontinue the payment of ‘additional money’ to modern teachers.

On January 8, J Reebha, director of the state government’s Minority Welfare & Waqf Department, notified all district minority officers about the decision to stop the additional money for modern teachers.

Iftikhar Ahmed Javed expressed concerns that with the cessation of salaries and additional money, modern teachers are losing hope. There’s a risk that the provision of modern education to madrasa students might cease soon. Ahmed Javed has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the renewal of the Madrasa Modernisation Scheme in the state and the country, along with the release of pending dues for the teachers.