A teacher should get paid more than an IAS, says former education minister Manish Sisodia

NEW DELHI: Former Education Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Thursday said a teacher's salary should be more than that of an IAS officer if India wants to evolve into a developed country by 2047. He made the remarks while addressing a 'Shikshak Samman Samaroh,' organised by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on the occasion of Teachers' Day.

"Today, there is a lot of talk about India of 2047. The teachers who are sitting here today, the children you have with you are very important for 2047. The India of 2047 depends on these children. But even policy makers have to do something for them," Sisodia said. "In most developed countries, the salary of teachers is more than the bureaucrats there. A teacher with five years of experience draws more salary than an IAS officer with five years of posting," he added, citing examples of Germany, Switzerland and a few other countries.

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Talking about his incarceration in Tihar jail, Sisodia said he spent 8-10 hours every day reading books and learning about the education system of different countries. "The last 1.5 years I was in a difficult circumstances of my life. When we are in difficult circumstances, the lessons learnt by teachers are most useful. I studied a lot during this time. I used to read books for 8-10 hours.

Most of all, I read about education, India's education system, the world's education system," he said. Sisodia was lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail for 17 months in an excise policy-linked money laundering case. He was released on bail last month. PTI SJJ SJJ VN VN VN