India, May 8 -- A threat from a hundred women to shave their heads after being met with silence from the government for 60 days paid off on Thursday. The protestors, contractual teachers and non-teaching staff from across the state, were told late on Thursday that the state chief secretary would meet them on May 14 to discuss their demand for permanent employment.

The protesters include 3,378 contractual employees appointed under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan nearly two decades ago. They include subject experts, teachers, and non-teaching staff working in different various arms of the state education department. They have been demanding that the government regularise their jobs and absorb them into permanent posts.

With no response over the...