Faculty protest at Tagore Arts College over retrospective CAS benefits
PUDUCHERRY: An indefinite sit-in by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Assistant Professors attached to government arts and science colleges in the Union Territory entered its third day on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, as lecturers pressed authorities to withdraw a recent Government Order on the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) and restore arrears.
The agitation, which began on Monday, August 10, was staged on the Tagore Arts College campus. According to JAC convenor K. Balamurugan, the G.O. issued on August 2, 2026, implements the CAS under the 2010 University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations only prospectively, and thereby excludes retrospective monetary benefits and arrears previously calculated for eligible teachers.
"The G.O. issued for implementing the CAS under the 2010 UGC Regulations recommends only prospective implementation, effectively cutting off arrears the teachers are entitled to," the committee said.
The JAC says the Puducherry government had earlier issued orders on September 29, 2014, and January 5, 2015, under the 2010 UGC Regulations to raise the Academic Grade Pay (AGP) from ₹6,000 to ₹7,000 with retrospective effect. The Office of the Lieutenant Governor, the committee added, had directed the government to pay the arrears retrospectively along with 6% interest, and the Directorate of Higher and Technical Education (DHTE) subsequently calculated the arrears and forwarded the file to the government.
However, the August 2 G.O. disregards that direction, the JAC contended, by denying monetary benefits to 145 faculty members across seven government colleges in the Union Territory. The committee said the affected teachers have been denied benefits for 16 years of service.
Demands and administrative steps sought
Joint Convenor K. Sankaraiyah urged the immediate withdrawal of the August 2 G.O. and demanded that the government implement the AGP through the selection committee without delay. The JAC asserted it will continue the sit-in until all its demands are fully met.
The protest highlights a dispute over administrative interpretation of UGC regulations, the timing of implementation of CAS, and the status of arrears that teachers claim are due. The committee maintains that earlier government orders and the Lt Governor's direction authorised retrospective payment, while the recent G.O. nullifies those entitlements for a specific group of faculty.
- Sit-in start: 10 August 2026 (Tagore Arts College campus)
- G.O. challenged: 2 August 2026
- Faculty affected: 145 teachers attached to seven government colleges
- Period of alleged denial: 16 years
The protest is confined to college faculty members and is framed as a demand for restoration of statutory benefits and arrears rather than a broader political demonstration. The JAC has not specified an end date for the sit-in and said it will continue until the G.O. is withdrawn and AGP implementation proceeds via the selection committee.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Previous government orders | 29 September 2014; 5 January 2015 |
| AGP change cited | ₹6,000 to ₹7,000 (retrospective, per earlier orders) |
| Governor/Lt Governor direction | Payment of arrears with 6% interest (reported) |
| Latest G.O. date | 2 August 2026 |
The matter centres on interpretation of the UGC regulations and the administrative route for granting AGP and related arrears. The JAC framed its demand as administrative rectification: withdrawal of the August 2 G.O. and immediate implementation of AGP through the selection committee so eligible teachers receive the retrospective monetary benefits they claim are due.
As of Wednesday, the protest continued at the Tagore Arts College campus. The JAC said it will maintain the sit-in until authorities address its demands; no conciliatory action or official response to the sit-in or the demand for withdrawal of the G.O. was reported in the original account.
The situation bears on higher education staffing morale and on the financial rights of long-serving college teachers in the Union Territory. Any decision by the government to alter the G.O. or to confirm arrears payments would directly affect the 145 staff members identified by the committee and could set a precedent for similar cases in the region.
