Agartala, July 29: TET 2024 qualified candidates on Wednesday once again staged a protest and submitted separate deputations to the Directorate of Elementary Education and the Tripura Teachers’ Recruitment Board (TRBT), demanding the immediate publication of the Under Graduate Teacher (UGT) and Graduate Teacher (GT) merit lists, speedy completion of the ongoing recruitment process, and the creation of additional GT posts to accommodate all eligible candidates.
The protesters said that despite completing the verification process months ago, the recruitment process has remained stalled, leaving thousands of qualified candidates in uncertainty. According to them, the recruitment notification announced 1,036 UGT posts and 1,020 GT posts, while nearly 1,500 candidates are eligible for GT, raising concerns that many deserving candidates may be left out unless additional posts are created.
In their deputation to the Director of Elementary Education, the candidates urged the department to expedite the recruitment process and increase the number of GT vacancies. They also questioned the continued delay in publishing the recommendation list, arguing that recent High Court judgments related to NIOS candidates primarily directed the issuance of T-TET certificates and did not explicitly order the inclusion of those candidates in the ongoing recruitment process.
A separate deputation was also submitted to TRBT, requesting the immediate release of the UGT and GT recommendation lists. The candidates stated that the prolonged delay has caused mental stress and uncertainty, particularly as many of them are approaching the upper age limit for government recruitment.
Speaking to reporters, one protester said their primary demand is the immediate publication of the merit list, adding that they have been protesting for nearly a year after completing document verification. The protester argued that schools across Tripura continue to face an acute shortage of teachers, with students in several schools staging demonstrations over the lack of teaching staff, while qualified candidates remain without appointments.
Another candidate alleged that the recruitment process has been repeatedly postponed due to legal disputes involving a small number of candidates. The protesters claimed that around 1,800 TET-qualified candidates are being affected because of an overlapping case involving only a handful of applicants. They questioned why the entire recruitment process should remain on hold when court orders have not specifically directed a complete suspension of recruitment.
The protesters also expressed frustration over their inability to meet the Chief Minister, who currently holds the Education portfolio, claiming they have repeatedly been prevented from presenting their concerns directly. They called for the government and TRBT to complete the recruitment process without further delay, stating that repeated assurances have not been followed by concrete action.
The TET-qualified candidates warned that continued delays are jeopardizing both their careers and the future of students studying in schools facing severe teacher shortages. They urged the authorities to publish the merit lists at the earliest and complete the recruitment process without further postponement.
