Reported by Mrinal Banik
Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday urged candidates who qualified in the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) Paper-I to withdraw their sit-in demonstration outside Siksha Bhavan, assuring them that the government was aware of their demand for immediate recruitment.
The candidates began their protest on Thursday amid the Durga Puja festivities, seeking appointment offers after qualifying in TET Paper-I. Their recruitment remains stalled amid legal complications, including cases pending before the Tripura High Court over the correctness of examination questions.
Appealing to the protesters to repose faith in the government, Saha said continuing the agitation was unnecessary and was causing inconvenience to the public as well as the demonstrators.
“I would urge them to have faith. I do not think there is any need to continue the agitation in this manner. The government is aware of the matter, and we will certainly do what is necessary,” he said.
The chief minister said the government was sensitive to public concerns and would take the necessary steps. He urged the candidates not to continue the demonstration, saying it would not serve any purpose.
According to official sources, the recruitment process has been delayed by legal proceedings before the Tripura High Court. Several cases concerning the correctness of examination questions remain pending.
Recently, the High Court directed the Teachers’ Recruitment Board, Tripura (TRBT), to award additional marks to certain candidates who had challenged the correctness of an answer in the final answer key published by the recruiting body.
The court’s direction has complicated the recruitment process, sources said. If the marks are revised in accordance with the order, the entire merit list may have to be redrawn, as around 3,000 candidates are understood to have attempted the disputed question.
Departmental sources said efforts were under way to resolve the issues at the earliest and distribute appointment offers to eligible candidates.
The government has recently distributed appointment offers to candidates recruited through TET Paper-II and the Selection Test for Graduate Teachers (STGT). The recruits are to teach different classes in secondary schools.
While TET Paper-II is associated with the recruitment of teachers for upper-primary classes, TET Paper-I is used to select undergraduate teachers for elementary schools. Recruitment of TET Paper-I qualifiers, however, remains stalled pending resolution of the legal issues.