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🇮🇳 India /Economy & Trade

NCERT staff unpaid for four months; 200 contractual employees struggle with loans, rent

From Hindustan Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Around 200 contractual employees at India's National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) have not received salaries for four months.
  • The unpaid employees are struggling with loans, rent, and other essential expenses.
  • NCERT officials cited pending fund releases from the Union education ministry as the reason for the delay.

Hundreds of contractual employees at the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) headquarters in New Delhi are facing severe financial hardship, having gone unpaid for four months. Approximately 200 individuals working on project-based assignments have not received their salaries since April, leading to mounting debt, missed loan payments, and struggles to cover basic living costs.

I manage my entire family’s expenses. I have a home loan EMI and also send money to my mother every month. Because my salary has not come for over three months, my EMI is bouncing and the penalty keeps increasing. I have borrowed money from friends to survive in Delhi, but my debt is mounting.

— Female contractual employeeDescribing the severe financial strain caused by the salary delay.

These employees are engaged in various NCERT departments, contributing to crucial educational initiatives funded by the Union education ministry. Their work supports programs like Samagra Shiksha and digital education platforms such as DIKSHA and PM e-VIDYA. However, the prolonged salary delay has created immense pressure, with some employees resorting to borrowing from friends to survive in the capital.

I live in Delhi with my wife and children in a rented house. Since salaries have not been paid for four months, I had to take loans to manage expenses. I am struggling to pay my children’s school fees, house rent and other household expenses.

— Another employeeDetailing the impact of unpaid wages on his family's basic needs.

Employees, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, described the dire consequences of the non-payment. One female employee shared her distress over bouncing home loan EMIs and the increasing penalties, while another detailed the struggle to pay rent and his children's school fees. Their contracts, initially set to expire in March, have been extended, but salaries for April, May, and June remain outstanding.

The administration keeps telling us that the ministry has not released the funds and they cannot say when salaries will be paid.

— An employeeRelaying information received from NCERT administration regarding the delay.

Repeated approaches to NCERT project coordinators and department heads have yielded little clarity. Staff were informed that funds from the Union education ministry are delayed and awaiting approvals. NCERT Director Dinesh Saklani stated he has asked departments to investigate the issue immediately, but the Union education ministry has not yet responded to queries regarding the delay or a timeline for payments. The situation arises amid changes in funding and approval processes for NCERT's project activities.

I have asked the concerned departments to look into this immediately.

— Dinesh SaklaniNCERT director's response to queries about the salary delay.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hindustan Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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