As per the provisions of the 2008 GR, each teacher can at the most make not more than Rs 5,500 a month which is a major hurdle in getting quality teachers and retaining them as per the experts.
Even as the Maharashtra government is emphasising on skill development with special efforts being taken to modernise training institutes by spending its resources and signing MoUs with big companies, thousands of teachers at state-run Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) continue to be severely underpaid even today.
Data obtained from the state's official documents reveal that over 2,000 teachers who are appointed on a Clock hour basis (CHB) in the absence of a permanent faculty as instructors in various subjects like engineering drawing, mathematics along with experts in the trade at state-run ITIs' are forced to work with the same meagre salaries of Rs 36 per hour for a practical and Rs 72 per hour for a theory class. The rates were fixed in 2008 and have not been revised ever since.
The Directorate of Vocational Education and Training (DVET) that governs these ITIs has written to the ministry of higher and technical education as well as the skill development department on multiple occasions requesting to increase the remuneration of these teachers from Rs 36 to 125 for practicals and from Rs 72 to 250 per hour for a theory class.
As per the provisions of the 2008 GR, each teacher can at the most make not more than Rs 5,500 a month which is a major hurdle in getting quality teachers and retaining them as per the experts. "We have a huge problem when it comes to hiring teachers on CHB. The wages are so low that nobody is willing to take it up. The total earning that a CHB teacher makes is lesser than the money earned by their student after working as an apprentice in a company. With such low salaries, how will they be motivated to work," said a principal of an ITI near Thane on the condition of anonymity. There are close to 417 state-run ITIs which appoint teachers on CHB basis.
A DVET official said on the condition of anonymity "We are having a lot of issues in getting instructors in these ITIs as the compensation is really low. Despite sending several letters to increase the compensation, there is no response from the side of the government."
Deepak Kapoor, Principal Secretary, Department of Skill development said that the issue of increasing the salaries of CHB employees is an urgent and important one. "We realise that a teacher who imparts skills to so many students cannot be paid such low wages and have hence forwarded a proposal to increase the salaries to higher officials. The department is following up the issue and we are sure that the proposal would be passed soon," added Kapoor.
Pinching hard
Total posts
8,000
Vacant posts where CHB professors are appointed
over 2000
Current rates
Rs 36/hr for practical and
Rs 72/hr for theory
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