Dr Jagdish Mehta Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara Guru Sakshat, Param Brahma, Tasmai Shri Guruvay Namah Teaching is one of the noblest professions in the world. Teaching means mentoring, guiding and researching. The job of a teacher cannot be bound in allotted hours. It transcends much beyond the boundaries of time and space. The teaching fraternity, especially in the higher education today, is caught up in a strange dilemma, where the rule makers/administrators do not understand the grassroots problems of this profession. They fail to understand the difference between a clerical/table chair job and teaching. First of all, I consider it pertinent to shatter the pseudo narrative that is prevalent in Indian society. The genesis and the vocabulary that have been associated with the mandatory biometric attendance, API scores and so called ranking point to the grave ideological problems in the education system. The negative approach and mindset of society, roots in the stereotyping of the teaching profession as a “soft” job, which is devoid of much hard work and talent. It is thought of as a five-hour job whereas the reality is starkly different from this mythical and whimsical assumption of the policymakers. I deem it my important duty as a representative of the teaching community in higher education to bring fore some points that common people need to know and that our policymakers need to consider seriously, so that they take insightful decisions and refrain from the ones just taken to reprimand the teaching community unnecessarily. Space and infrastructure: The teachers in most colleges do not have personal working stations nor they have separate rooms or cabins or any cubicles where they may carry out their academic/professional/research related works. Time-binding the teachers to stay on the campus is just mere wastage of their time and intellectual energy. The absence of poor internet connectivity and lack of proper sitting spaces leads to an anxiety of being unproductive. : Teachers in higher education sector are expected to supervise Ph D and M Phil students along with regular teaching. This requires high degree of effort, energy and enthusiasm. The hours spent in meeting and mentoring students are nowhere accounted for. Nevertheless, this is a noble and selfless service to the nation though there are no emoluments for this, nor any significant professional perks. Binding the teachers in limited hours and unlimited rules will de-motivate the teachers to indulge in productive research. An atmosphere of trust, flexibility and empathy is must for a teacher to flourish and shade the students as a real Guru. Overloaded classrooms: Most of the colleges in the tricity have classes of more than 80 students. There are no ACs, no proper benches, no proper lecture halls and only teachers know that how difficult it is to speak for hours and hours in the sweltering heat and also meet other non-academic responsibilities that are thrust upon them and which have no mention on the paper. Research Projects: The faculty members are under pressure to bring research projects to their institutes, but working on it requires long hours and patience. It can be done in a comfortable setting. Academic responsibility of 24x7 hours: Delivering lectures, solving students’ problems, supervision, scholarly and research-related activities, preparing lectures, checking answer sheets, making notes and miscellaneous institutional duties requires the teachers in higher education to be on the call at all times. Non-sedentary occupation: Teaching is a non-sedentary occupation. A teacher is always on the move, from classroom to library to lab, and sometimes from one college to another and then from one university to another in search of knowledge and resources for the students and personal research. It is foolish to tie down a teacher to a chair and table and create an undue stress of time margins. It is naturally going to bring down the quality of performance and standard of education. Distrust for teaching fraternity: Despite all efforts and sincerity, it is hurtful the way the teaching community is distrusted and branded as doing nothing. Asking for proofs is heartbreaking for a teacher and such attitude is bound to make a teacher robotic. The language and the vocabulary used for teachers are also very much disrespectful and unacceptable. It reflects immaturity and callous attitude of the authorities Hence, it is my appeal to the authorities, policymakers, stakeholders and society that analyse the nature scholarship of teaching professionals in higher education. Give due respect, space and conducive conditions to the intellectual class, else the future of this country is grim. The writer is Fellow at Panjab University, Chandigarh

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