The dispute revolves around the cut-off marks, causing delays in result declarations and adding to the candidates' woes.
Mohammad Alamullah | Clarion India
NEW DELHI – As Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya takes the center stage, another narrative is unfolding in Uttar Pradesh. Candidates protesting against irregularities in the state’s 69,000 teacher recruitment process have threatened to intensify their agitation, warning of mass sacrifice if their concerns are not addressed by January 22.
For an extended period, these candidates, including a significant number of women, have been on a hunger strike, staging protests at the Eco Garden in the state capital. Their primary grievance revolves around alleged reservation discrepancies in the recruitment process. The ongoing bone-chilling cold has not deterred their resolve, with families and children joining them in solidarity, reports reaching here said on Friday.
The contentious 69,000 teacher recruitment case is entangled in a legal battle over reservation issues. The National Backward Classes Commission’s report on April 29, 2021, confirmed a reservation scam, yet the state government has been allegedly neglecting the matter. Candidates accuse officials of arbitrariness and harassment, claiming some of them of have openly dismissed their concerns.
The controversy dates back to July 25, 2017, when the Supreme Court deemed illegal the appointment of 1.37 lakh Shikshamitras as assistant teachers. Subsequently, the government decided to conduct recruitment in two phases, with the first phase filling 68,500 posts. However, changes and decisions made in the second phase led to ongoing allegations and court battles.
The dispute revolves around the cut-off marks, causing delays in result declarations and adding to the candidates’ woes. The minimum cut-off was increased from 45% to 65% for unreserved and 40% to 60% for reserved categories in the second phase. Candidates argue that the abrupt change, made a day after the exam on January 6, 2020, resulted in prolonged legal battles.
The heart of the matter lies in the alleged inconsistency in reservation. Candidates claim that the proposed list of recruitment lacked vital details, leading to OBC candidates receiving only 3.86% reservation instead of the entitled 27%. This has raised concerns about double reservation and mandated a fresh review of the selection list.
Despite Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s meeting with candidates in December 2021 and the subsequent release of the list on January 5, 2022, appointments were halted on January 8, 2022, citing the code of conduct. The subsequent selection list faced allegations of irregularities, prompting opposition and court interventions.
#ShikshakBharti and other social media campaigns have become platforms for candidates to voice their demands. Political leaders have rallied behind the candidates, while the state government remains silent, relying on the court’s proceedings. As the candidates prepare to visit Ayodhya seeking resolution, the battle that began in 2019 persists into 2024, reflecting the complex challenges in the state’s teacher recruitment process.
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File photo used for illustration
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