Скачать или смотреть DEADLINE COLLAPSE: Why the Govt Panicked & Moved Teacher Pay to Christmas 🎄 (RTI Challenge Inside!)

The December 31 Deadline That Became "Before Christmas": A Masterclass in Moving Goalposts

Thought-Provoking Statement
"On November 12, 2025, the Education Minister promised a 'structured pay system' for teachers by December 31, with implementation from April 1, 2026. On December 9, 2025—just three weeks before the deadline—the Chief Minister revised it to 'before Christmas' (December 25). When a government cannot even honor a deadline it set six weeks earlier, should we believe any promise about April implementation?"

Eye-Opening Statement
"This is the fourth iteration of the teacher pay deadline: promised in 2023 (broken), promised mid-2025 (broken), promised by December 31, 2025 (now revised to December 25), and implementation 'by April 1, 2026' (likely to be broken). Each time the deadline shifts, teachers are told 'consultations are ongoing' or 'data is being finalized.' But if the government has been 'finalizing' for three years, either the data doesn't exist, or the will doesn't exist. We are witnessing the institutionalization of broken promises."​

Synopsis
The shifting deadline for the teacher pay structure is a case study in governmental credibility collapse. On November 12, Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui stated unequivocally that the pay structure would be "formulated by December 31" and "executed by April 1." Fast forward to December 9, and Chief Minister Conrad Sangma announces it will be ready "before Christmas"—moving the deadline forward by six days. This may seem like a minor improvement, but it actually signals panic: the government realizes it won't meet even the December 31 deadline and is trying to buy goodwill by promising an earlier date.​

The deeper issue is credibility. Teachers have heard these promises for years. Each broken deadline erodes trust not just in this specific policy, but in the government's word on any matter. When a government cannot meet self-imposed deadlines on issues it claims are "top priority," it reveals either incompetence (inability to execute) or dishonesty (never intending to execute).

Sources & Intellectual Foundations
The Shillong Times (Nov 12 & Dec 9, 2025): Documents both the original December 31 deadline and the revised "before Christmas" promise.​

"The Psychology of Deadlines" (Behavioral Economics): Shows that frequently missed deadlines create "deadline fatigue" where stakeholders stop believing any timeline.

"Credibility and Commitment in Public Policy" (Political Science): Governments that repeatedly break promises face declining policy effectiveness as citizens stop cooperating.

Your Socratic Research Mission
Ask: "On December 26, 2025, RTI the Education Department: Has the pay structure been finalized? If yes, publish the document. If no, what is the revised deadline?"



Verify: "On January 5, 2026, ask a teacher: 'Did the government release the pay structure before Christmas as promised?'"

Critical Question: "If the government misses the December 25 deadline (which is highly likely given the pattern), will the Education Minister resign for failing to keep his word? Or will there just be another excuse and another deadline?"

The Deadline Timeline
2023: Pay structure promised (failed)

Mid-2025: Pay structure promised (failed)

November 12, 2025: December 31 deadline announced

December 9, 2025: Deadline moved to "before Christmas"

Prediction: December 25 will pass, and the government will blame "technical issues," announce a new deadline of "before January 26," and the cycle will continue.

Question: At what point does repeated failure become evidence of bad faith?





"Don't just take my word for it. We are witnessing the 'institutionalization of broken promises'. I want you to verify this yourself. Here is your mission: On December 26, 2025, file an RTI with the Education Department asking if the structure was finalized. If they say yes, demand the document. If no, ask for the new deadline. Furthermore, on January 5, 2026, ask any teacher you know: 'Did the government actually release the pay structure before Christmas?'. Let the data speak for itself."