Tamil Nadu teachers protest for pay parity, over 1,500 detained
Thousands of government school teachers in Tamil Nadu have been protesting since late December 2025, calling out a big pay gap between those hired before and after June 1, 2009.
While both groups do the same job, newer hires earn much less—₹5,200 versus ₹8,370 as basic pay.
Why is this such a big deal now?
The Seventh Pay Commission in 2018 made the gap even wider—now the disparity in overall monthly salaries has widened to ₹25,000-30,000.
Protests have ramped up, with scores of teachers detained by police in Chennai.
Many are going without food or water to keep up the fight.
What happens next?
With no agreement reached after talks with state ministers fizzled out last month, teacher unions say they'll start an indefinite statewide strike from January 6 if their demands—like equal pay and restoring old pension benefits—aren't met.
Opposition parties are backing them and criticizing police crackdowns.