Kannur (Kerala) [India], May 2 (ANI): In a twist of political irony, the LDF government halted the promotion of a Left-leaning assistant professor to associate professor in an aided college in Kasaragod following his participation in two Bharat Bandhs in 2020 against the BJP-led Union government--the nationwide strikes backed by the CPM-led LDF.

In February 2025, the Kannur University Syndicate approved the promotion of the Microbiology assistant professor under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS), along with around 10 other teachers. This decision followed a thorough review of their academic records and interviews conducted by a duly constituted selection committee. In March, the Syndicate approved the promotion of another 30 teachers.

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However, when his college forwarded the promotion file to the Deputy Directorate (DD) of Collegiate Education in Kozhikode for salary revision, the DD returned it. They objected that his participation in the January 8 and November 26, 2020, Bharat Bandhs was counted towards his length of service, which the DD deemed incorrect because the government did not declare 'dies non' for those days.

Specifically, the DD sent a query to Kannur University seeking clarification on handling cases where 'unauthorised absence' during strikes was counted towards experience. According to a teacher familiar with the matter, the university has yet to respond to it.

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'Dies non' - Latin for 'non-day' - is a term used in administrative contexts to mean 'no work, no pay'.

In Kerala, when the government declares a strike day as 'dies non', employees who participate in the strike without authorisation do not receive their salary for that day, and it doesn't count towards certain service benefits such as leave accrual. However, their pension, seniority and considerations for promotion remain unaffected.

"At first glance, 'dies non' may seem punitive. But it is a reasonable protective net because protestors are rightly denied salaries for the strike days, which even daily wage labourers forgo to take part in strikes. But a regular employee's pension, promotion and seniority are guaranteed under the Kerala Service Rules," said Dr Shino P Jose, Kannur University senate member and Secretary of the Kerala Private College Teachers' Association (KPCTA), an organisation affiliated with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).

In this case, the LDF government did not declare 'dies non' for the 2020 strikes, possibly to ensure the protesters, mostly Left-leaning employees, get their salaries for the strike days. But it exposed the teachers to long-term losses, he said.

In 2022, the Kerala High Court intervened when the LDF government failed to declare 'dies non' for a two-day Bharat Bandh. The court directed the state to enforce 'dies non' provisions, resulting in salary deductions for employees who participated in the strike.

Similarly, for the Bharat Bandhs on January 8 and November 26, 2020, the High Court ordered the government to recover salaries paid to employees who were absent without authorisation. However, the state is yet to declare these days as dies non, said KPCTA.

"Once the salaries are withdrawn without declaring dies non, it is considered a break in service and promotions and pensions are affected," said Dr Jose.

In contrast, the University of Calicut addressed a similar issue in December 2021 by deciding to count the strike days for promotions until the government issued a formal order.

The Kerala Private College Teachers' Association (KPCTA) has criticised the government's stance, calling it anti-labour and highlighting the irony of penalising employees for participating in strikes that the ruling party itself supported.

KPCTA President Dr Premachandran Keezhoth raised the issue with the Kannur University Vice-Chancellor, who indicated that a directive would only be issued if the government takes a decision.

As a result, several aided colleges have informally decided not to send promotion files of their teachers to the DD, fearing rejection and the subsequent need to reconduct the entire promotion process.

The next Syndicate meeting is scheduled for May 5, and affected teachers are hopeful that the matter will be addressed then. (ANI)

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