Teachers' Day Protest: Teachers and Students Detained in Delhi While Marching Against NEP 2020

The protestors had planned to march with slogans calling for the scrapping of NEP 2020, highlighting key issues such as the Common University Entrance Test (CUET), coaching and paper leak mafias, school mergers, fee hikes, and loans from the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA).

On Teachers’ Day, Delhi Police sparked outrage by detaining a large group of teachers and students from Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia and JNU, who had gathered to march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar.

The protest was organized by the Federation of Central University Teachers’ Associations (FEDCUTA) and the Joint Forum for Movement on Education (JFME) to voice their opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which they claim is dismantling public education in India.

The protest was meant to culminate in a public meeting at Jantar Mantar. However, before most participants had arrived, senior leaders, including FEDCUTA President Moushumi Basu, and former Presidents Nandita Narain, D.K. Lobiyal, and Rajib Ray, were forcibly detained. The sudden crackdown left protestors confused and angered, with many questioning the government’s approach to stifling dissent, especially on Teachers' Day.

Speaking on the incident, Moushumi Basu, President of FEDCUTA and Coordinator of JFME, said, “The police action today only serves to vindicate the very sentiments behind this Teacher-Student Unity March. This protest is about the unity of those engaged in the teaching-learning process who are standing up against the destruction of the nation’s future through the erosion of public education. NEP 2020 threatens high academic standards and makes education inaccessible to all, particularly marginalized groups.”

She added, “By detaining teachers and students on a day meant to celebrate educators, the government has shown its utter contempt for the teaching community. The Delhi Police has been used to silence our voices, but our fight continues.”

Prof. Nandita Narain, Chairperson of JFME, shared her experience after being detained: “We have been detained by the Police at Mandi House. Along with me, Moushumi Basu, Rajib Ray, Abha Dev Habib, D.K. Lobiyal, and other leaders of JFME and FEDCUTA are here. They are taking us to an unknown destination instead of Jantar Mantar, as was initially promised. We urge everyone to proceed to Jantar Mantar as planned. We shall fight, we shall win! Shame on this anti-teacher, anti-education, and anti-people government! Harassing and humiliating teachers on Teachers' Day is a new low."

The protest was not a one-off event but part of a larger, ongoing opposition to NEP 2020, which critics argue will dismantle public education systems by promoting privatization, increasing the financial burden on students, and introducing policies that undermine academic freedom. Specific grievances include the merging of schools, hikes in fees, the introduction of self-financing courses, the implementation of the Four-Year Undergraduate Program (FYUP), and the phasing out of the MPhil program. Protestors also oppose the skewed student-teacher ratios, and the hiring of staff through platforms like GEM, which they claim leads to job insecurity.

The broader movement, which has gained support from institutions such as Delhi University (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), and Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD), also emphasizes the need for gender-sensitive and safe campuses, the reinstatement of scholarships for SC/ST/OBC and minority students, and an increase in public spending on education to at least 10% of the GDP.

In a statement issued following the detentions, the Democratic Teachers' Initiative (DTI) condemned the government’s actions: “Look at how teachers are being humiliated on Teachers' Day! Today’s protest, held on FEDCUTA-AIFUCTO-JFME’s call, was meant to demonstrate our collective resistance to NEP 2020. Yet, instead of listening to teachers and students, the government has chosen to suppress us by force. This is how we are celebrating Teachers' Day – by being detained for fighting for the future of education!”

The protestors had planned to march with slogans calling for the scrapping of NEP 2020, highlighting key issues such as the Common University Entrance Test (CUET), coaching and paper leak mafias, school mergers, fee hikes, and loans from the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA). Other demands included the resolution of the 7th UGC Pay Revision anomalies, the restoration of the old pension scheme, and the absorption of temporary staff into permanent positions.

Despite the detentions, protest leaders have called for continued demonstrations. "This is a critical moment for education in India," said Prof. Nandita Narain. "Our public education system is under attack, and teachers, students, and citizens must stand together to protect it. We will not be silenced."

As of now, the detained leaders remain in police custody, and their exact location remains undisclosed. Protestors have been urged to continue assembling at Jantar Mantar to make their voices heard and continue the planned public meeting. The confrontation between the police and the demonstrators only highlights the escalating tensions between educators and the government over the future of India’s education system.