This week the campus of Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal saw deserted classrooms with untouched chalks and dusters. Students of MANIT have been on a casual schedule with no lectures. This schedule is expected to continue till at least January 15, 2016. The reason for this is the on-going faculty strike of MANIT. This indefinite strike will continue until the teacher’s long pending demand for promotion is accepted. The demand is based on a policy of Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) formulated by MHRD in 2013.

When PaGaLGuY spoke to a student of MANIT he said, “I came to
the college on Thursday after the college vacation, but to my surprise I came
to know that we have no lectures.” The students of MANIT were puzzled at the
cancellation of lectures because there has been no formal communication, about
the on-going teachers strike, by the MANIT administration. Another student said,
“We came to know about the strike only from the media. Until then we were
clueless about why our lectures were cancelled.”

“As per the old promotion policy, we were eligible for
promotion and increment in Annual Grade Pay. However, none of the promotions were
implemented. Now they are implementing the new policy, which negates the old
policy, due to which most of us will not be eligible for promotions.” said a
faculty member of MANIT.

With over 100 faculty members being affected with the new
promotion policy, it is only the Department of Architecture that is not on
strike.

Many students who hail from outside Bhopal have extended
their holidays till their regular class will resume. The disciplinary rules of
the MANIT’s hostel have also ceased to exist, as the wardens too have joined
the strike. This puts a question on the MANIT administration’s responsibility towards
the hostel students. This strike has also put the students’ safety at risk,
because the students have no disciplinary binding on them.

It is the placement season in the campus, and despite no show
by the faculty members, the students are continuing to prepare for their
interviews. The third-year students have been having mock interviews conducted
by the fourth-year students.

To understand the situation, the Students Council has
requested the Director to conduct a meeting with the students. This indefinite
strike of the faculty members is definitely a loss for the students in the
long-term, as it will delay the completion of their syllabus.