Lucknow: UP government has provided significant relief to nearly 1.68 lakh personnel and their families by substantially increasing the honorarium of two major groups associated with the education sector, 'Shiksha Mitra' and part-time instructors. During the budget session of the Legislative Assembly, CM Yogi announced that from April 1, 2026, Shiksha Mitra working in the state will receive an honorarium of ₹18,000 per month, while part-time instructors will be paid ₹17,000 per month (for 11 months per academic session).
This decision will result in an additional annual financial burden of over ₹1,480 crore, which will be jointly borne by the State and Central Governments. The move clearly reflects the government’s priority towards education and the human resources associated with it.
The honorarium increase will not only improve the standard of living of Shiksha Mitra and instructors but will also enhance their morale and efficiency in schools. This is expected to strengthen the quality of education, especially in rural and remote areas. The decision is being seen as proof of the government’s social sensitivity and commitment to educational reforms. It is considered economically significant for the personnel and a major step toward strengthening the academic quality of government-run primary schools.
At present, 1,43,450 Shiksha Mitras are working in the state. Until now, they were receiving ₹10,000 per month. Under the new announcement, this amount has been increased to ₹18,000 per month. As a result, the government will incur an additional annual expenditure of ₹88,000 per Shiksha Mitra and the total annual expenditure on all Shiksha Mitra will be approximately ₹1262.36 crore. This cost will be jointly borne by the State and Central Governments, demonstrating the government’s commitment to the education sector.
It is noteworthy that the 'Shiksha Mitra scheme' was implemented under a government order dated July 1, 2000 with the objective of maintaining a 1:40 teacher-student ratio in government primary schools. Shiksha Mitra are accountable to the Gram Shiksha Committee and perform teaching duties under the guidance of the Headmaster. Over the years, various Shiksha Mitra organizations have consistently demanded an increase in honorarium. The current announcement is being viewed as the fulfillment of these long-pending demands.
Similarly, 24,781 part-time instructors are currently working in upper primary schools across the state in subjects such as Art Education, Health and Physical Education and Work Experience Education. They were earlier paid ₹9,000 per month, which has now been increased to ₹17,000 per month. This results in an additional annual expenditure of ₹88,000 per instructor, with the overall additional annual financial burden estimated at ₹218.07 crore.
In 2013, contractual appointments of part-time instructors were made in 13,769 upper primary schools with more than 100 students for these subjects. In 2022, the Yogi government had increased their honorarium from ₹7,000 to ₹9,000. The latest increase to ₹17,000 per month is expected to strengthen co-curricular and skill-based education in schools.
After honorarium hike, Shiksha Mitra and Instructors expressed gratitude towards CM
Following the announcement of increasing the honorarium of Shiksha Mitra from ₹10,000 to ₹18,000, a wave of happiness has swept across various districts of the state. Shiksha Mitra have termed the decision a major relief and expressed their gratitude towards CM.
A Shiksha Mitra from Moradabad said that managing household expenses with ₹10,000 over the past 9 years had been extremely difficult, and the announcement of ₹18,000 from April has raised hopes of financial stability.
Sukhjit Singh from Ayodhya described the decision as a long-awaited step that finally addressed their problems seriously. Other Shiksha Mitras said their long-ignored issues had finally received attention, bringing relief to families and boosting morale.
Hina Kausar, a Shiksha Mitra, stated that running a household on ₹10,000 amid rising inflation was challenging and the new honorarium offers much-needed relief, motivating her to work with full dedication toward shaping children’s futures.
In Sambhal, Ravindra Kumar Khari, District Spokesperson of the Uttar Pradesh Primary Shiksha Mitra Sangathan, said the decision would strengthen dialogue between the government and Shiksha Mitras.
Surbhi Gupta and Sarita Varshney also welcomed the move and expressed hope for continued cooperation in the future. Meanwhile,
technical instructor Mohit Kumar from Rampur termed the honorarium hike encouraging and motivating. Shiksha Mitra Shobha Gupta also called it a major relief and expressed her heartfelt thanks.
