422 posts, but for whom?? Island Students feel Cheated :::: Is Administration working for the Welfare of Islanders or Mainlanders??

Bureau Report
Port Blair, Nov 12: The day is not far when Island youths will be killing each other or involve in anti-social activities for every single job opportunity. As the Administration has gone total rudderless due to lack of vision and foresight, mainland candidates are entering in various local jobs, leaving local candidates virtually on road.

Recently, the Directorate of education has issued recruitment notice for recruitment PGT -26, GTT- 181 and PST-215, total 422 posts.
Sadly, this recruitment is all India basis as there is no restriction for Mainland Candidates for applying to the post. Anybody possessing the requisite qualification from mainland can apply and get recruited against the post on the basis of the merit of qualifying examination, as neither interview nor recruitment test has been proposed in the recruitment notice for selection of suitable candidates against the above vacancies.

According to the notice for recruitment to posts at Sl. No. 2 & 3, a candidate has to pass CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test) conducted by CBSE. One must remember that CTET, It is conducted twice in every year February and July. The overall pass percentage of this test is very poor. Particularly in Andamans hardly there are 70 to 80 candidates who have passed this test.

Since there is no restriction for candidates from mainland, the island candidates will be deprived of getting any posts in all the above three categories. State Board and State universities are lenient and award more marks to candidates of mainland than CBSE and Central University for the islanders.

Due to the above facts, i.e dearth of CTET passed candidates most of the above vacancies at Sl. No. 2 and 3 shall be filled up by candidates from mainland India.

Before advertising for such posts one must realize that, the education from class I to VIII is governed by RTE (Right to Education). The determination of minimum qualification for recruitment of teachers in schools is governed by the regulations of NCTE (National Council for Teacher Education). It means RTE governs education up to class VIII and all teachers are to be appointed as per the regulations of NCTE.

According to NCTE norms there are altogether four categories of Graduate Teachers as given below: Primary School Teacher- Class I to V (for this CTET is required) ; GTT for Upper Primary- Class VI to VIII (CTET is required); GTT for Secondary – Class IX and X (CTET is not required) and Post Graduate Teacher-Class XI and XII (CTET is not required).

One must remember that there is provision of relaxation in the notified Recruitment Rules according to which, “Where the Lieutenant Governor (Administrator), Andaman and Nicobar Islands is of opinion that it is necessary or expedient so to do, he may by order for reasons to be recorded in writing can relax any of the provisions of these rules with respect to any class or category of persons”.

Giving relaxation by LG will not be a new thing in Andamans. In past also about 30 years back when B Ed. Qualified candidates were not available in these Islands, candidates possessing only graduate or postgraduate degree were appointed as GTT or PGT and then they were give 3 to 4 years time to compete B.Ed. Course.

Not only this the A & N Administration still has some LGCs who have not passed typing test. They were appointed only by relaxing norms in past.

To save the future of these Islands, where jobs are already limited for Islanders, the Administration must consider only candidates who are permanent residents of these Islands (locals) for recruitment to the above vacant post as being done in case of distribution of professional seats like BE, MBBS etc. in the colleges of mainland and admission to B.Ed. College, TTI, Polytechnic etc. in these islands, where MHA’s order is still enforced.

Another solution can be that the CTET requirement can be relaxed at least for 2 or 3 years for recruitment against the post of PSTs. The local candidates who are otherwise eligible should be considered for appointment with the condition that they should clear CTET in the next two or three years.

This is also noteworthy that the Director of Education in the above recruitment notice has indicated only three groups of teachers as against four groups according to the norms of NCTE. Therefore the post of GTT should be categorized into GTT upper primary and GTT secondary as per NCTE norms. The existing GTTs of the department should be put under GTT upper primary and the above vacancies of 181 GTTs should be advertised for GTT Secondary only where no CTET is required and all eligible local candidates should be considered for GTT secondary.