India’s education system rests on the shoulders of thousands of dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to ensure that every child receives quality education. Among them are the Cluster Resource Coordinators (CRCs), who play a crucial role in strengthening schools and mentoring students. They are working under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). The scheme is a centrally sponsored integrated scheme for school education, which was launched by the Ministry of Education in 2018 with the objective of ensuring universal access and retention, quality education, equity and inclusion, skill development, and the effective use of technology and teachers to strengthen the education system. On paper, the scheme represents a progressive vision for Indian schools. However, for many of those working under it, the reality is a painful paradox.
Cluster Resource Coordinators (CRCs) have not received their salaries for the last five months. A salary is not a bonus; it is the means by which families survive. Survival itself has become a daily struggle. It is important to note that we work on a modest monthly salary of rupees 25,000 only. Delayed payment of such a modest income has pushed many of us into severe financial distress.
Financial responsibilities do not distinguish between a gazetted officer and a daily wage worker. Every individual has a family to support and bills to pay. At a time when the cost of living has risen sharply, we too have children to educate, elderly parents to care for, and households to run. The children do not understand salary delays; when they ask for money to buy a book, medicine, or a basic necessity, they expect their parents to provide it. Unfortunately, after months without pay, even meeting these essential needs becomes impossible.
We constantly worry about food, electricity bills, rent, healthcare, education expenses, and transportation costs. Many of us are unable to afford even our daily travel expenses. Our families have gradually stopped believing our assurances because they cannot comprehend how a person who is employed has gone unpaid for months. As breadwinners, we feel helpless and ashamed that we are unable to fulfil our basic responsibilities.
The burden is not merely financial—it is deeply emotional and psychological. Financial uncertainty often results in arguments, misunderstandings, and emotional distance within families. The continuous stress leads to mental exhaustion, anxiety, overthinking, mood swings, and difficulty concentrating on work. One begins to feel trapped, isolated, and defeated. The pain is compounded by the fact that very few people truly understand the silent suffering we endure.
Ironically, despite these hardships, Cluster Resource Coordinators continue to shoulder significant responsibilities in strengthening school education. We play a crucial role in improving the overall development of heart, soul and vision of students. Our workload is comparable to that of permanent employees, yet our service conditions remain highly uncertain.
Many CRCs are exceptionally qualified, holding Ph.D. degrees along with prestigious academic credentials such as NET, SET, and JRF. We accepted this position with the hope that it would offer dignity, professional growth, and stability. Instead, we find ourselves facing prolonged salary delays and a lack of recognition for our contribution.
This raises a fundamental question: Why this step motherly treatment? Are we not human? Do our lives and our families not matter? How can those entrusted with strengthening the education system perform their duties effectively when they themselves are struggling for their basic survival?
We earnestly appeal to the concerned authorities to address this issue without further delay. Timely release of salaries is not a privilege—it is a basic right of every employee. Ensuring that those who work tirelessly for the betterment of education receive their rightful wages on time is not only an administrative responsibility but also a matter of justice and human dignity.
The author is working as Cluster Resource Coordinator and can be reached at mudasirsabiralig@gmail.com
