Teachers’ Day gift: MP CM announces pay hike for nearly 1.5 lakh educators

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday announced the grant of fourth-time-scale pay to teachers across the state, benefitting nearly 1.5 lakh assistant teachers and upper-grade teachers of old and new cadres.

The proposal will soon be placed before the Cabinet, and the benefit will be given from the financial year 2025-26, involving additional annual expenditure of Rs 117 crore.

The announcement came during the state-level Teachers’ Day felicitation ceremony held here, where Governor Mangubhai Patel and Chief Minister Yadav honoured outstanding teachers for exemplary service. On the occasion, Rs 330 crore was transferred directly into the accounts of 55 lakh students of Classes 1 to 8 in government schools towards school uniforms.

Governor Patel lauded teachers as “nation builders” who shape the future through values, knowledge and character. He urged them to step forward in addressing social challenges, including rising cases of student suicides. Patel said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, underlining the crucial role of educators in this journey.

CM Yadav invoked India’s guru-shishya tradition, citing Maharishi Vishwamitra’s role in shaping Lord Ram and Guru Sandipani’s guidance to Lord Krishna. “Education refines individuals and builds cultured citizens. Teachers illuminate lives with their knowledge,” he said, while paying tributes to Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary.

CM Yadav also highlighted that the results of government schools have surpassed those of private institutions after 15 years, crediting teachers and the education department staff.

The ceremony was attended by School Education minister Uday Pratap Singh, other ministers, legislators, senior officials, including Secretary of the School Education department Sanjay Goyal, Commissioner of Public Instruction Shilpa Gupta and a large number of teachers and students.