Telangana Teacher Job Seekers Demand Justice
Why Were Unemployed Youth Kneeling at Telangana CM Revanth Reddy’s Residence?
In Hyderabad, over 200 aspiring teachers held a sudden ‘kneel down’ protest outside Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s residence on Tuesday. They were frustrated after being denied a chance to meet the CM.
The protesters even stopped MLC-elect Chintapandu Naveen, also known as Teenmar Mallanna, from entering the house for a while. They let him in only after he promised to address their concerns. This was their second attempt in two months to meet the Chief Minister and explain their issues.
What’s the Issue?
The main issue is about the implementation of an interim order by the Telangana High Court. Here’s a breakdown:
Job Notification: In April 2023, the Telangana Residential Educational Institutions Recruitment Board (TREI-RB) announced 8,708 vacancies for various teaching positions like Degree Lecturers (DL), Junior Lecturers (JL), Post Graduate Teachers (PGT), Trained Graduate Teachers (TGT), and Physical Directors (PD).
Selection Process: The recruitment process required the same qualifications and had common exam papers for DL, JL, and PGT posts. Many candidates were selected for more than one position.
Order of Recruitment: Usually, DL positions are filled first, followed by JL, PGT, and TGT. This allows candidates to be considered for lower posts if they are not selected for higher ones. However, this time, the board completed the PGT recruitment first, causing confusion.
Relinquishment Option: Candidates who are selected for multiple posts can choose the best one (DL) and relinquish the others (JL, PGT). These relinquished posts should then go to the next qualified candidate. But the board didn’t follow this process, announcing PGT results first and skipping the relinquishment option.
Backlog List: Normally, when a candidate resigns from a job, the vacancy goes into a backlog list and is filled later through a fresh notification. The job seekers argue that instead of adding vacancies to this backlog, they should immediately fill them with the next qualified candidate.
Court’s Intervention
Unhappy with the selection process, many candidates went to the High Court. The court directed the government to consider the next qualified candidates for any vacancies left due to non-joining or relinquishment of posts. However, the board followed outdated guidelines from 1997 and did not allow for a waitlist.
The job seekers claim that many vacancies remain unfilled because the relinquishment option was not provided. This has led to their protests, hoping the government will address their grievances.
