Why Maharashtra teachers are striking today: BLO work, voter list work and SIR assignments

Teachers across Maharashtra are set to stage a statewide protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Thursday July 9 raising concerns over the growing burden of nonacademic duties job insecurity and what they describe as increasing administrative pressure on educatorsThe agitation backed by various teachers groups is expected to draw participation from educators across the state Organisers say the movement aims to protect schools ensure uninterrupted education for students and safeguard teachers rights and job securitylsquoTeachers are being burdened with unpaid SIR work affecting classrooms and mental healthrsquoSanjay Shinde a Marathi teacher at Utkarsh Mandir School in Malad with over 20 years of teaching experience expressed concern over the additional responsibilities assigned to teachers as part of the Special Intensive Revision SIR exerciseSanjay Shinde extreme left protesting with his fellow teachers Pic Special ArrangementSpeaking to middaycom Shinde said teachers are already handling multiple governmentassigned duties including election and censusrelated work and that the SIR exercise has added to their workload without any additional compensationI am a teacher How is it fair to ask teachers to carry out Special Intensive Revision work and boothlevel officer duties in addition to our regular responsibilities We already perform election and census work Now SIR and BLO duties have been added while we are expected to continue our work in schools as usual he saidShinde whose school shift runs from 12 pm to 6 pm said teachers are expected to carry out SIRrelated fieldwork before reporting to schoolI start my shift at noon so we are expected to complete SIR and BLO work before school hours This exercise is expected to continue for nearly a month It takes a toll on our mental health and leaves us exhausted he saidHe also raised concerns about the lack of remuneration for the additional workThe government does not pay us for this extra duty We are being burdened with additional responsibilities without any compensation he addedHighlighting safety concerns Shinde said many teachers especially women are required to visit households as part of the verification processWe have many female teachers and it is not always safe for them to go doortodoor for verification work In several cases residents do not cooperate Some even get angry believing we are questioning their eligibility as voters he saidAccording to Shinde citizens often express frustration over the requirement to furnish documentsPeople ask us how they are expected to prove they have been voting for the last 20 years They feel the government should already have these records As field workers we are left facing public anger and answering questions we cannot resolve he saidShinde also questioned the impact of the exercise on students and academic schedulesWhat about the students Who will teach them and ensure their syllabus is completed This is the first time we have been asked to undertake SIR work on such a scale Political battles are affecting teachers more than the political parties themselves he saidCalling for alternatives he urged the government to adopt technologydriven solutionsInstead of burdening teachers with unpaid work the government should create an online system develop a dedicated app or employ unemployed youth for such assignments A digital process would be more efficient and less disruptive for teachers and students alike he saidLegal challenge against BLO dutiesThe protest comes amid an ongoing legal challenge by the BLO Duty Injustice Redressal Forum which has filed a petition before the High Court regarding the deployment of teachers as Booth Level Officers BLOsThe forum operating under the slogan Let Us Teach has sought judicial intervention against the requisitioning of employees from private aided and unaided schools for electoral workAmong its key demands areA declaration that the Election Commission lacks authority under Section 13B of the Representation of the People Act 1950 to requisition employees of private aided and unaided schools for voter listrelated dutiesA ruling that such appointments are arbitrary illegal and unconstitutionalA permanent restraint on authorities from assigning private school employees to BLO workProtection for teachers from punitive actions such as FIRs complaints and showcause notices related to BLO dutiesA declaration that assigning teachers election duties after school hours and during holidays violates their fundamental rights under Article 21 of the ConstitutionCall for unity ahead of Azad Maidan protestOrganisers have urged teachers to set aside organisational differences and participate in the agitation collectivelyThe appeal argues that remaining silent in the face of mounting pressure could worsen conditions for educators in the future Teachers have also been encouraged not to be deterred by fears of salary deductions or disciplinary action with organisers claiming that a united movement would be difficult for authorities to ignoreThe protest began at 11 am at Azad Maidan on July 9