Academic activities at government engineering and diploma-engineering colleges have come to a standstill as more than 1,100 ad hoc teachers from these institutes have gone on an indefinite strike. The teachers are demanding a permanent status.

On Wednesday, a group of 175 teachers staged a token hunger strike in Gandhinagar to mark their protest. They also intimated the state education department about their demands. The agitation that started on Monday is likely to intensify further, said the teachers.

From Friday matters are likely to turn serious. The teachers have threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike. "We have intimated the state education department about our plans. The fight has to be taken to its completion and the state government shall be responsible for the consequences," said an ad hoc teacher.

The reason for the strike is that government lecturers are appointed by the state government with candidates selected by Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC). "When this process got delayed inordinately, the state education department had turned to ad hoc teachers to ensure that academic sessions in colleges are conducted without break. Most of us have put in four to five years as ad hoc teachers. Now that new appointments are being made, the ad hoc teachers are being given marching orders," said a teacher who is spear-heading the ad hoc teachers' agitation.

In the last three months, 250 teachers have been appointed for these colleges on recommendation by GPSC. As a result services of the teachers appointed on an ad hoc basis are being terminated. The matter has also gone up to the Gujarat high court.

Officials of state technical education directorate said: "The court has already directed us that the ad hoc teachers' services be terminated in a phased manner as GPSC-appointed teachers are being recruited. We cannot go against the court order." The ad hoc teachers then took up this order before a division bench of the HC and the matter is now sub judice.