What is traditionally a day of celebration turned into a statewide protest in Odisha as thousands of teachers and staff from non-government-aided and unaided institutions marked Teachers’ Day as a “Black Day.”
Demonstrators gathered across districts, demanding long-overdue reforms and government support.
In Bhubaneswar, hundreds marched to Lower PMG Square under the banner of the Odisha School and College Teachers and Employees Coordination Committee, pressing for a five-point charter of demands. These include block grant funding, pension benefits, service recognition, and financial parity with government institutions.
Similar protests erupted in Rayagada and Soro, where educators condemned what they described as the government’s “step-motherly attitude.” Teachers highlighted discrepancies in appointments between districts and the exclusion of their institutions from grant provisions. Despite submitting demand letters, staging sit-ins, and holding multiple rounds of discussions with government officials, their concerns remain unaddressed.
Association president Biswaranjan Das declared that Teachers’ Day would continue to be observed as a Black Day until their demands are met. The agitation, previously held on Mahatma Gandhi Marg, has now shifted to the gates of non-government colleges across the state.
With 2025 marking over five years of continuous protests and a recent 19-day pen-down strike, teachers expressed deep frustration over the lack of government response. They vowed to continue their movement until justice is served.
