Yesterday, I shared a blog post titled "UGC Salaries and the Great Public Heartbreak." To my surprise—and perhaps also as a reflection of a collective frustration—it recorded 555 reads in a single day, one of the highest viewership figures for any post on my blog.
My sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to read, respond, and share it across social media.
Of course, I do not assume that all 555 readers belonged to the Higher Education sector. Yet the response itself is significant. It suggests that the concerns raised in the blog resonate with the lives of many college teachers and touch larger questions about work, public perception, policy delays, and professional dignity.
I was certain that the blog captured a reality that many teachers in Kerala's Arts and Science colleges know all too well. Even within our own families, the countless hours spent reading, preparing for classes, evaluating, mentoring students, conducting research, writing papers, handling accreditation work, and completing administrative responsibilities after official working hours often remain invisible. If those closest to us struggle to see that labour, one can imagine how difficult it is for society at large to understand it.
The overwhelming response to the blog reveals something important: teachers working under the Department of Higher Education continue to be deeply affected by social misconceptions about their profession and by the endless delays in implementing pay revisions. By the time arrears eventually arrive—if they arrive at all—they often feel more like a mirage than meaningful financial relief. Celebrating delayed arrears while ignoring inflation and the declining value of money is to overlook the economic reality teachers live through every day.
To those who routinely dismiss teachers as "undeservedly" privileged or "lazy," a gentle reminder:
Every profession has its share of highly committed individuals and those who do the bare minimum. Judging an entire community through the actions of a few is not objectivity—it is selective insensitivity.
And to those who have the power to shape policies and make decisions:
We continue to wait for a new chapter in the story of pay revisions—one that reaches us on time and genuinely improves our financial well-being, rather than arriving years later as a symbolic gesture.
For those who have not yet had the opportunity to read the blog, I am sharing the link below. I would be happy to hear your thoughts, whether you agree, disagree, or wish to add your own experiences to the conversation.
Until then, the conversation continues.
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