Protesting candidates call off hunger strike

Protesting candidates call off hunger strike

Pune: After the assurance letter from the education commissioner, the 10-day long hunger strike by DEd BEd Students’ Association ended here on Thursday. According to the letter, the commissioner will advertise about the recruitment dates and procedure by the end of February.
 
Over 400 candidates were on hunger strike demanding for the immediate commencement of the teachers’ recruitment process outside the State Education Commissioner’s office in Central Building.

“The education commissioner had spoken to us on the very first day of protest that soon the advertisement for recruitments will be published. He had also requested us to call off the hunger strike, but those were verbal promises only. We needed a written assurance, which we have received now. Therefore, we have ended our protest here,” said Founder of the association Santosh Magar.

“We are assuming that a total vacancies of 12,000 posts in government, government-aided and district schools across the State will be released. However, we also want them to increase 4,000 more posts in rural areas, adding up to 16,000, for which the association is preparing to continue protesting at Azad Maidan in Mumbai from February 20,” added Magar. 

Education Commissioner Vishal Solanki stated that the department is carrying out its work in the direction where before the new academic year starts, these unemployed teachers will be recruited.

“We have started the process of including 10 per cent reservation for the economically backward class from the general category in the roster. Once the list is completed, it will be verified and approved immediately. The advertisement module for teachers’ recruitment has been prepared and is ready. It will be circulated to all education officers and the publishing of the advertisement will start. The instruction for the same has been communicated to all officers. We are trying to initiate the process as soon as possible,” said Solanki.

As Sakal Times had reported earlier, an RTI query had revealed that out of the 2,51,969 sanctioned posts across the State, presently, 2,31,557 have been filled, leaving a void of around 20,000 teachers and headmasters. 

However, according to sources, although the state education minister had stated that teachers’ recruitment process will start against 24,000 vacancies in State-run schools, it is likely that only 10,000 to 12,000 vacancies will be released now.

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