05/09/2025
"Adhoc Teachers Were 'On Ventilator' Till 2019; New Era Began with PS Golay’s Government"
Teachers are the architects of our future. They are the silent, steady hands that mould young minds, ignite curiosity, and lay the very foundation upon which a prosperous society is built. The progress of any state, including our beloved Sikkim, is intrinsically linked to the dedication and commitment of its educators. A society that honours its teachers is a society that invests in its own destiny. Yet, too many of our devoted teachers worked under uncertainty for decades: hired year to year, paid only for the school months, and forced to fight for every extension. That era of fear ended when Chief Minister P.S. Golay — himself a former government teacher — made dignity for teachers a central mission of his administration.
For those who lived through it, the pre-2019 era was a period of profound hardship and psychological distress. Ad-hoc teachers were trapped in a cruel cycle of temporary employment. Their contracts were renewed annually, leaving them in a perpetual state of anxiety about their future. Compounding this instability was the deeply unfair practice of paying them for only eight to ten months of the year, leaving them without an income during the harsh winter months. Imagine the dedication it takes to shape young minds while worrying if you can support your own family through the winter. As one teacher, Prakash Parajuli, who was arrested during the 2019 protests, noted, this system had a "great psychological effect," fostering economic disparity and a constant, gnawing uncertainty.
When these educators finally raised their voices, their pleas for justice were met not with dialogue, but with disdain. In early 2019, peaceful rallies asking for the basic right to job security escalated into desperation, culminating in a blockade of National Highway 10. The response from the then-government was shocking. Instead of empathy, teacher leaders were arrested and faced FIRs. Instead of respect, they were vilified on social media, with some even labelling them "terrorists" for demanding their rights. The promises made were hollow, tied to clauses like "uninterrupted service" that many feared were loopholes designed to deny them the very security they sought. Our teachers were not just insecure; they were being humiliated.
The dawn of a new era began with the government of Chief Minister Shri PS Golay. For him, this was not just a matter of policy; it was personal. Having served as a graduate teacher in a state-run school from 1990 to 1993, he has a unique and authentic understanding of the challenges faced by educators. He has walked in their shoes, understood their struggles, and felt their aspirations. His leadership is not born from political calculation, but from a deep-seated compassion forged by lived experience. He once stated that his government took over facing the major concern of regularising teachers who had been temporary for over 22 years, a cry for justice the previous administration "had no heart to feel".
This empathy was immediately translated into decisive action. The P.S. Golay government introduced the historic 'Sikkim Adhoc Teachers Regularisation Policy 2021', a landmark move that replaced a system of neglect with a structured pathway to permanence. Initially, the policy regularised teachers with eight years of service, providing immediate relief to thousands. But demonstrating an unwavering commitment to justice, the government took another compassionate leap forward. The service requirement for regularization was reduced from eight years to just four. This wasn't just a paper promise; it was backed by the creation of 1,948 specific posts for Pre-Primary, Primary, Graduate, and Post-Graduate teachers, ensuring the policy was fully implemented. The cruel practice of withholding salary during winter vacations was abolished, guaranteeing a full 12-month income and restoring financial stability and dignity to our teachers.
The response was transformative. Teachers who had lived in limbo for 20–25 years saw the light of hope return. Regularisation meant not only monthly pay without interruption but also social dignity, access to government benefits, and the ability to plan for their families. It stopped the annual scramble for contracts and restored continuity in classrooms — which benefits students directly. Independent coverage of the reform highlighted how the policy corrected an education system that had been allowed to falter, placing teachers back at the heart of learning rather than at the mercy of bureaucratic cycles.
PS Golay’s reforms went beyond staff regularisation. The education department’s cadre was restructured, stalled promotions were addressed, and assistant professors and temporary academic staff who had laboured in uncertainty were offered clarity and career progression. Where the Department of Human Resources once resembled an ICU of stalled processes, it began to recover — promotions moved forward and administrative justice returned. These measures restored the morale of the teachers and signalled that public service is respected in Sikkim.
Why did this happen? Because a leader who once stood at a blackboard understands what it means to have a permanent salary, a predictable routine, and the respect of your government. P.S. Golay’s own experience as a teacher shaped the empathy behind policy decisions: he knows that a teacher’s peace of mind translates into better classrooms, better students, and a stronger society.
By healing the heart of its education system, the government of Shri PS Golay has laid the strongest possible foundation for a 'Sunaulo Sikkim'—a Golden Sikkim. A secure, respected, and motivated teacher is the most powerful catalyst for progress. Their stability translates into better learning outcomes in the classroom, nurturing the skilled, confident, and enlightened citizens who will drive our state's growth. The journey of our ad-hoc teachers—from being on a ventilator to being venerated—is a powerful testament to a government that leads with its heart. It is a promise fulfilled, a wrong righted, and a clear signal that in the new Sikkim, our gurus, the architects of our future, will always be cherished.
-Dr Pratik kashyap
Gangtok
