Over 1,000 anganwadi teachers and helpers continued their protest in Chennai on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, marking the 15th straight day of their strike. They demand that the Tamil Nadu State government regularise their jobs as promised in the DMK party manifesto. "It has been 15 days of State-wide protests regarding our demand to be regularised. We are not asking for something new; it was a promise made in the DMK manifesto. We want it fulfilled," said an anganwadi teacher from Chennai. Currently, anganwadi teachers work on temporary contracts and earn a monthly salary of ₹15,000. Helpers get ₹6,000 per month. While they get dearness allowances, other benefits are missing. Teacher Narmada said, "We take care of children, from their food to their studies. We take care of pregnant women and new mothers. In addition, we are also assigned duties such as SIR [Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls] and other election-related work. We distribute nutritious food, update apps, and ensure all data entry is completed. Do we deserve only ₹15,000 for this?" The workers say they are overworked and have not received any salary increase or permanent status. "We aren’t eligible for Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai [monthly allowance for women] because we are government employees, yet we are not treated as such. So, where do we belong?" asked anganwadi teacher S. Maheswari. They want their basic pay to be raised to ₹19,500 after regularisation. "No talks have been held so far. We will continue our protest until our demand is met," added Ms. Narmada. This ongoing strike highlights the workers’ struggle for dignity and fair pay in Tamil Nadu.