“A teacher affects eternity; no one can tell where his influence stops,” Henry Adams

Every society that dreams of progress invests in education, and every education system rests upon the shoulders of its teachers. Yet, there is a painful irony in Jammu & Kashmir's higher education sector: while we celebrate academic excellence and encourage young scholars to pursue the highest qualifications, many of those who actually achieve them continue to work without the dignity and recognition they deserve.
I write this article not merely as a commentator but as someone who lives this reality every day. I am one among thousands of contractual lecturers serving in Government Degree Colleges across Jammu & Kashmir. Like many of my colleagues, I have spent years earning postgraduate qualifications, clearing competitive eligibility examinations such as NET and SET, and pursuing research, believing that education would be rewarded with respect and a fair opportunity to serve society. Instead, we find ourselves trapped in a cycle of uncertainty, inadequate remuneration, and professional insecurity.
A need base contractual lecturer in Jammu & Kashmir is expected to possess qualifications that match national academic standards. The Higher Education Department engages teachers who have cleared NET, SET, SLET, or obtained a Ph.D., and many possess impressive research credentials. These are not ordinary academic achievements. They demand years of sacrifice, perseverance, and financial commitment.
Yet, despite meeting these demanding standards, the need base Academic Arrangement Lecturers receive a consolidated remuneration of only ₹28,000 per month. This amount is expected to sustain families, support professional growth, and reflect years of academic excellence. It is difficult to reconcile such expectations with the realities of modern life.
The issue becomes even more concerning when viewed in the national context. In several states and Union Territories, contractual Assistant Professors receive significantly higher remuneration, often ranging between ₹40,000 and ₹70,000 per month, while some recent recruitments like Bihar have offered 90000 (Ninety thousand). Although service conditions differ across states, the comparison naturally raises an important question: Why should equally qualified teachers in Jammu & Kashmir be valued less than their counterparts elsewhere?
Inside our classrooms, there is no distinction between a contractual lecturer and a regular faculty member. We teach the same syllabus, prepare lectures with the same commitment, supervise assignments, evaluate answer scripts, mentor students, participate in admissions, invigilate examinations, assist in departmental activities, and contribute to the academic life of our institutions. Our students judge us by our knowledge and dedication—not by the nature of our appointment. The distinction appears only when salaries are credited, when service benefits are discussed, or when the future is considered.
Perhaps the greatest burden is not financial but emotional. Every academic session begins with uncertainty about whether we will continue in service. Every year brings fresh anxiety over re-engagement. Long-term planning becomes impossible. Many lecturers postpone important life decisions because they cannot predict what the next academic session will bring. This uncertainty quietly erodes confidence, morale, and mental well-being.

There is another aspect of this issue that deserves attention—the silent emotional injury suffered by highly qualified educators. Imagine spending nearly a decade building an academic career, clearing national-level examinations, publishing research, completing a Ph.D., and then discovering that your work is still treated as temporary and easily replaceable. The disappointment is not merely financial; it is deeply personal. It affects one's sense of worth, professional identity, and faith in the system.
Education has always been described as the backbone of a progressive society. If that statement is true, then teachers are the backbone of education itself. A system that depends heavily on contractual lecturers while leaving them uncertain about their future risks weakening the very foundation it seeks to strengthen.
This is not an appeal for special treatment. It is a request for equitable treatment. Contractual lecturers of jammu and Kashmir are not asking for privileges beyond reason. They seek remuneration that better reflects their qualifications and responsibilities, transparent service conditions, and policies that recognise their contribution to higher education.
The Government of Jammu & Kashmir has consistently expressed its commitment to improving the quality of higher education. That commitment can be strengthened by investing not only in infrastructure and technology but also in the people who stand before students every day. Recognising and supporting contractual lecturers is not merely an employment issue; it is an investment in educational quality, institutional stability, and the future of thousands of students.
I write these words not out of resentment but out of hope. Hope that policymakers will listen. Hope that society will understand the realities behind the classroom door. Hope that future scholars will not have to choose between academic excellence and financial dignity.
The measure of a society is reflected in how it treats those who educate its future generations. When highly qualified teachers continue to serve with dedication despite insecurity and inadequate remuneration, they deserve more than appreciation—they deserve justice.
The time has come to ensure that merit is not merely celebrated in speeches but respected through policy. For the contractual lecturers of Jammu & Kashmir, justice delayed has become opportunity denied. Their voices deserve to be heard—not because they ask for sympathy, but because they ask for fairness.

Email:--------------------------------paryazdot11@gmail.com