TJAC seeks changes in eligibility criteria

HYDERABAD: Telangana Joint Action Committee (TAJAC) on Tuesday urged chief secretary SP Singh to modify the eligibility criteria for Teacher Recruitment Test (TRT) and allow every student, who cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) to appear for the test.

TJAC chairman M Kodandaram and others submitted a memorandum to this effect to the chief secretary at the Secretariat here on Tuesday. According to TRT notification, only those who clear TET with 45 to 50 per cent marks in the qualifying examination are eligible to apply.  “We are of the opinion that there is no need to consider the scores in the qualifying examination when the student has already cleared the TET. Many students are eliminated in TET. Hence, a second elimination at this stage is not required,” the TJAC said in its memorandum.

In another memorandum,  TJAC wanted the chief secretary to replace the contributory pension scheme (CPS) with old pension scheme for  state government employees. The CPS became operational in 2004 and it was made mandatory to all the government employees recruited after September, 2004. “The new pension scheme depends on the vicissitudes of market and adversely affects the employee who after years of service stand to lose retirement benefits.  It is in this context TJAC organised a meeting in 2017. A number of teachers adopted a resolution to replace the CPS with old pension scheme,” TJAC said.