Teachers in UP seek special allowance for staying single

LUCKNOW: Claiming that their contribution in checking population growth is much more than others, teachers in government-aided higher education institutions in UP, who are single, want the state government to pay them a special allowance, on a par with the family planning allowance given to their married counterparts adhering to Hum Do Aur Humare Do (two child) norm.

The family planning allowance was introduced in 1981 to motivate government employees to voluntarily follow the two child norm. The allowance, at present, is between Rs 550-900 per month in accordance with their pay grades. There are 12 state universities, 345 government-aided and 125 government colleges in UP with over 17,000 teachers. Of them, around 8% teachers are single. There are around 1,200 teachers in 21 government-aided and four government colleges associated with the Lucknow University (LU), of which 10% are single with no kids. They include around 25 divorcees, 15 widows/widowers and around 75 unmarried.

These single teachers have now decided to speak against the three decades of injustice and discrimination against them. "I think we should apply for the allowance and see what is the response of government. If it says no, we will have the option of going to the court for justice," said Pratima Bhatia, head, anthropology department, Awadh Girls' PG College. Her colleague, Ratna Watal, head of economics department, said family planning allowance is a welcome step but why keep out those who have abstained from adding to the burgeoning population by willingly opting to remain single.

Teachers argue that the aim of family planning incentive is to reward those who have refrained from increasing their family beyond two children. Going by this logic, single teachers should be doubly rewarded as they have made a sacrifice for the society as per the Malthusian theory of preventive checks. Malthus said the rate of increase of population is higher than the food supply which would eventually lead to widespread poverty and starvation. He suggested two types of checks to control the population — preventive and positive. The preventive checks include the postponement of marriage and celibacy.

Significantly, not only single teachers, even childless couples do not qualify for allowance under the government's definition of family planning. "Teachers had raised the issue when the allowance was introduced in 1980s but the government officials had then said that to avail the allowance one needs to marry and have kids, one or two but not more than that," said a senior professor. Rajesh Kumar, another single teacher, argued there could be many reasons for a person deciding not to marry. Similarly, biological reasons can also prevent couples from having kids. But this should not form the basis of discrimination, Kumar added.

source timesofindia