Voice of the People Party called for the removal of Education Commissioner and Secretary Vijay Kumar Mantri on September 10, prompting Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui to defend the officer the following day. Rymbui described Mantri as one of the most hardworking and accessible officials in the department and said he consistently listened to teachers’ concerns.
The minister added that while Mantri may not resolve every grievance instantly, it was incorrect to claim he ignored teachers. He recalled an incident when teachers went on a hunger strike and Mantri, acting as a government representative, informed them that a new pay structure was being prepared. Subsequent consultations with organisations led to a revised pay framework, which Mantri persuaded the government to adopt, and work to address teachers’ problems continues.
The Meghalaya Schools Welfare Development Association – Central Body opposed the demand for Mantri’s removal. In a representation to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, association president H.M. Marbaniang urged that policy differences not be turned into a personal campaign against an officer and that such matters be resolved through dialogue.
The association highlighted long‑standing pay and service disparities among teachers under various systems and supported the State Pay Framework for new recruitment to bring greater uniformity. It argued that teachers already under the Deficit Grant‑in‑Aid system should retain their approved pay and service conditions. The body called for a more uniform structure to aid retention in rural and remote areas, create jobs for local youth with recognised qualifications, and urged the government to protect serving teachers, apply the SPF only prospectively for new posts, and keep reforms consultative rather than personalised.
