Primary teachers end hunger strike after meeting Himachal Pradesh education minister

SHIMLA: Primary teachers in Himachal Pradesh ended their 43-day hunger strike on Saturday after the state government assured them that their demands would be addressed.

A meeting was held here with Education Minister Rohit Thakur, and a consensus was reached on around 20-21 points, following which the teachers decided to end the strike. It was also decided that the directorate of primary and higher education was to remain the same.

Apart from this, the government will also reconsider the suspended teachers, Thakur said, adding that the teachers were assured that their promotions would not be hindered. On March 28, the Himachal Pradesh cabinet approved the elevation of the directorate of elementary education to the directorate of school education.

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This new directorate would oversee education from pre-nursery to Class 12, while the directorate of higher education would be responsible for managing colleges and addressing all aspects of higher education. Following this decision, around 10 teachers were suspended for protesting, making derogatory remarks against the government and being absent from school.

Jagdish Sharma, President of the Primary Teachers' Association of Himachal Pradesh, confirmed that the strike was called off after the meeting with Thakur. Sharma further stated that a committee is likely to be constituted to form a directorate of primary and higher education governed by a single director.

He added that there would be no changes in other structures without the committee’s recommendation, and primary teachers would also be included as members of this committee.