Agartala, June 8: Hundreds of school computer instructors from across Tripura staged a massive human chain demonstration near the Gandhi statue at Circuit House in Agartala on Monday, demanding job security, regularisation of services and direct government control over Information and Communication Technology (ICT) education in schools.
The protest was organized by the All Tripura School Computer Teachers’ Association with support from the Tripura Theka Mazdoor Sangh. Teachers from different parts of the state participated in the programme, highlighting concerns over low wages, contractual uncertainty and the continued outsourcing of ICT education.
Addressing the gathering, association leaders stressed that computer literacy has become an essential component of modern education and a key requirement for achieving the goals of a “Digital India” and a technologically advanced Tripura. They argued that despite playing a crucial role in preparing students for the digital era, computer instructors continue to face job insecurity and inadequate service benefits.
The protesters demanded that computer education be made a compulsory subject in schools and that marks obtained in the subject be included in students’ merit lists. They said such a move would strengthen digital learning and improve the quality of education across the state.
A major demand of the agitation was the transfer of the ICT project from private contractors to the direct supervision of the Education Department. The teachers contended that government control would ensure better implementation of ICT programmes while safeguarding the interests of instructors.
The association also placed a four-point charter of demands before the government. These include implementation of the revised Labour Code 2026 to protect workers’ rights, integration of the ICT project into the Samagra Shiksha scheme after five years of service—as reportedly done in Assam—absorption of Phase-I instructors under Samagra Shiksha, and recognition of teachers’ dignity and job security as essential components of educational reform.
Speakers at the rally urged the state government to take immediate steps to address their concerns, warning that continued neglect of their demands could lead to intensified protests in the coming days. The demonstration concluded with a renewed call for policy reforms aimed at strengthening ICT education and securing the future of computer instructors.
