Bhopal: Believe it or not - from September onwards, all teachers on contract in Madhya Pradesh government schools will be called Rashtra Rishis.
State Education Minister Archana Chitins thinks this title will make the teachers feel more respected. "The teachers will feel important. They will feel respected by the society and feel they deserve the respect," she says.
But the five lakh contracted teachers, far from feeling honoured, are livid. Their salaries have stayed between 1500 to five thousand rupees for nearly a decade, salaries that are long due for revision.
A lot of unhappy teachers quit every year. A title is what the government thinks will stop the drain - a game plan that has backfired.
"The teaching fraternity boycotts this decision. We refuse to accept this honour," says Murlidhar Patidaar, president of the Madhya Pradesh Adhyapak Sangh.
There are two facets to this story. One, the slow saffronisation of schools where teachers will be called Rashtra Rishis and students will chant Bhojan Mantras before meals. The other - an attempt to obscure the immediate needs of schools in grand ceremonies.