Deficit school teachers under the banner of the Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers’ Association (KJDSTA) held a rally at Malki Ground, Shillong, on Monday and later marched to the Chief Minister’s Office at the Main Secretariat, demanding immediate enhancement of Dearness Allowance (DA) at par with government servants and release of long-pending arrears. Following the rally, the teachers submitted an urgent memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma seeking enhancement of DA from the existing 43 per cent to 51 per cent, in line with prevailing rates applicable to government employees. According to the association, the delay in revising DA has caused severe financial hardship and mental distress to thousands of deficit teachers across the state.
As protesters gathered near the CMO gate and raised slogans, officials were compelled to call in security personnel to manage the situation. The demonstration, however, remained largely peaceful. In the memorandum dated December 15, 2025, the KJDSTA warned that if their legitimate demands are not fulfilled on or before January 15, 2026, the teachers would be left with no option but to intensify democratic protests and agitations to safeguard their rights and dignity. Apart from DA parity and arrears, the association flagged a series of unresolved issues, including irregular payment of salaries, delay in release of DCRG to retired deficit teachers, incomplete implementation of centralized provident fund mechanisms, and delays in filling vacant deficit posts in schools.
The teachers also demanded timely payment of winter allowance and other admissible benefits. Addressing the gathering at Malki Ground, speakers accused the government of being insensitive to the plight of deficit teachers and alleged harassment over the past two years. They also raised objections to recent policy changes, including the removal of teachers’ role in setting question papers, which they claimed undermines professional autonomy in the name of “standardization”. The KJDSTA pointed out that past governments had acknowledged shortcomings in the system and supported deficit teachers, but alleged that the present situation marks a departure from that approach. No official response was received from the Chief Minister’s Office till the filing of this report.