Guest Teachers Threaten Election Boycott Over Unpaid Wages

Guest teachers in Uttarakhand—many serving for over eight years—are protesting unpaid summer salaries while being assigned duties for upcoming panchayat polls. With nearly 4,700 in the workforce, they demand permanent appointments and full compensation including insurance coverage. Led by their association president Abhishek Bhatt, they warn of boycotting election responsibilities if payments aren’t resolved. The Education Department insists payments have been made to active teachers for the break period, citing no clear policy for summer wages otherwise. This issue highlights ongoing inequities in contractual education staffing.