In a renewed demand for expediting the recruitment process, TAIT-qualified teaching job aspirants have relaunched their protest outside the Education department’s office in Pune since Saturday. One protestor, determined to expedite the process, has pledged to abstain from even water starting Wednesday if no substantial progress is made.
The previous protest in October was temporarily suspended following assurances from the authorities. However, with no tangible progress, the teachers have been compelled to resume their agitation. Over 60,000 vacancies remain unfilled across zilla parishad, municipal council, corporation, and private aided and semi-aided schools in Maharashtra.
The government-run Pavitra Portal was introduced in September to streamline the recruitment process. By October, an impressive 1,62,562 candidates had registered and completed the self-certification process. Despite this encouraging response, the recruitment process has stalled, leaving thousands of qualified candidates in limbo.
“The Education Minister had assured us that teacher recruitment would be completed by June, coinciding with the commencement of the academic year. However, it is November now, and we are still waiting for our appointments,” lamented Mahadev Gaikwad, a teacher from Beed district. “We demand immediate recruitment for the mandated seats,” he asserted.
Santosh Lashkare from Nanded, who has been on a hunger strike since Saturday, November 25, expressed his frustration with the delayed process. “The process, which began in December last year, has yet to be completed. The Education Minister extended the deadline from June to October, but even the advertisements for the recruitment are yet to be issued,” he exclaimed.
Priyanka Patil, another TAIT-qualified teacher from Dhule awaiting recruitment, highlighted the plight of both aspirants and students. “We are all under immense pressure, especially with families to support. On the other hand, students have been suffering due to the lack of teachers and the sluggish recruitment process,” she stated.
Education Commissioner Suraj Mandhare offered a glimmer of hope, stating, “We are nearing the completion of the teacher recruitment process. I anticipate that Zilla Parishads will begin issuing advertisements from next week. Initially, approximately 20,000 teachers will be recruited.”
The government conducted the qualifying examination, ‘Teacher Aptitude and Intelligence Test (TAIT) 2022’, between February 22 and March 3 this year. A total of 2,16,443 candidates appeared for the examination.