Townhall Times, New Delhi
Reporter: Bhavika Kalra
By: Regional Desk (Uttar Pradesh) | Lucknow/Badaun Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Uttar Pradesh is currently juggling two very different realities. In Lucknow, the government just handed out a massive financial olive branch to the teaching community right before the Holi break. Meanwhile, in the hinterlands of Badaun, the police are trying to figure out who bludgeoned a 60-year-old watchman in his sleep.
Here’s the unfiltered reality of what’s happening.
1. The ₹25 Lakh Gratuity Move: Why It’s Not Just “Another Hike”
The Yogi government has finally pulled the trigger on a demand that has been rotting in files for years. Today, the maximum gratuity limit for teachers in aided and secondary schools was officially bumped from ₹20 lakh to ₹25 lakh.
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The Parity Game: This isn’t just about the extra 5 lakhs. It’s about “Parity.” State regular employees have been getting this higher cap since July 2024, while the teachers were stuck on the old rates. The Secondary Education Department pushed the proposal to the Finance Department last week, and today, the green light is official.
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Who actually gets the cash? We’re looking at nearly 2.5 lakh educators and non-teaching staff in aided secondary schools.
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The Timing: This isn’t a coincidence. With Holashtak starting today (locking down weddings and new ventures), the government is using this “dead period” to shore up support among the influential teacher unions who have been threatening protests over exam duty conditions.
2. Murder in Badaun: The Bilsi Farmhouse Case
While Lucknow talks numbers, the mood in Badaun’s Bilsi area is dark. Early this morning, a long-serving chowkidar (watchman) was found dead in a pool of blood at a farmhouse.
The Field Details:
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The Victim: 60-year-old Surendra Singh. He wasn’t a newcomer; he had been guarding this specific farmhouse for over 25 years.
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The Scene: The owner, Naresh Chand Maheshwari, went to the farm at 7:00 AM to collect milk and found the door locked from the inside. When he peeked through a gap, he saw Singh sprawled on the floor.
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The Kill Shot: Initial forensics indicate Singh was hit in the head with a heavy, blunt object while he was probably asleep or caught off guard.
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Police Status: SP (Rural) has confirmed the body is at post-mortem. There’s a lot of tension in the Bilsi-Mujaria belt right now because Singh was a local fixture. No arrests yet, but the “robbery gone wrong” theory is the lead the cops are chasing.
3. The “Exam Duty” Crisis: 42,000 Teachers on the Radar
In a separate but related move, the UP Board has stopped being “nice” about absenteeism.
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The Crackdown: Secretary Bhagwati Singh has made it clear: if you skipped exam duty this week without a medical certificate, your salary is being held.
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The Legacy: Last year, 42,000 teachers got away with a warning. This year? The board is moving straight to stalling promotions and withholding increments. It’s a classic “carrot and stick” day—the ₹25 lakh gratuity is the carrot, and this is the stick.
The Verdict: The “Holashtak” Lockdown
As of today, February 24, the state enters Holashtak. This means for the next eight days, you won’t see any new project launches, big government inaugurations, or even local property registrations. The state is essentially in a spiritual “holding pattern” until Holi, which gives the administration a week to clean up the Badaun investigation and settle the teacher salary disputes.
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