The exam was held for 1,150 posts of Junior Basic Teacher (JBT), Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) and Nursery Training Teacher. (Representational Image)
The union territory education department is all set to take a final call within a fortnight on the fate of at least 800 teachers who were recruited through JBT-TGT exam conducted between January and February 2015. The exam was held for 1,150 posts of Junior Basic Teacher (JBT), Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) and Nursery Training Teacher.
Teachers, however, have pressed the panic button and are claiming that they can lose their jobs by the end of this month. Teachers’ unions in the city have also called for a protest on May 15 against a possible termination of service.
“We are still looking into the legalities of the issue and will decide accordingly. The termination of service is not yet confirmed and I cannot say anything as to what will happen before a decision is taken by the panel,” said B L Sharma, Education Secretary, adding that it will take another 15 to 20 days to arrive at a decision.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed in August 2016, had found that at least 300 aspirants, who had been benefited from a paper leak, had been recruited as teachers in the government schools of Chandigarh. The SIT had recommended that the services of all the teachers, recruited in 2015, should be terminated.
Teachers, especially those who got top ranks, have fully cooperated with the SIT investigation.
The governor had also constituted a panel, headed by the UT finance secretary and comprised of the education secretary, director of school education, senior standing counsel, UT, legal remembrancer and the special secretary, personnel, to look into the recruitment of the teachers.
The teachers have repeatedly raised the issue with the department, stating that it should at least consider leaving out those who were not involved in the scam and only terminate the services of the accused.
If the panel decides to terminate services, the education secretary said, they will not take an arbitrary decision in any case and definitely consider a retest to give another chance to the teachers. “The greater picture has to be kept within sight as it’s difficult to determine how many have been benefited from this scam.”
A JBT, who did not want to be named, said, “What’s the guarantee that recruitment will be transparent once again? This is an administrative failure.”
A TGT, requesting anonymity, said, “So many of us left lucrative jobs to be enrolled as teachers. I was an assistant professor in a college, before I appeared for the exam in 2015. Innocent and brilliant teachers, who have nothing to do with the scam, should not suffer such a fate. Who will be responsible for our families?”
The TGT added that many of them had even left jobs in other departments of the UT administration.
“Family problems notwithstanding, the stress has left me distracted and depressed,” the teacher, whose mother is suffering from cancer, said. He has a Rs 34-lakh loan to repay.
Another TGT, who did not want to be named, said innocent teachers are being targeted unnecessarily. “If some people have leaked the paper, take action against them. Police have already released the names of those involved,” said the teacher, adding that age was also a problem now to apply for another government job as three years had passed. “I left my job as a principal in a Panipat school. What is our fault? There’s nothing sadder than this,” the teacher said.
Arvind Rana, President, SSA Teachers’ Welfare Association, said the whole issue cropped up due to a consistent failure of the education department.
“The fault of the department and a few accused is being forced to be borne by innocent teachers,” he said, adding that in a similar case in 2010, the education department failed to take action even after a CBI recommendation. “So, what is the hurry, just on the basis of an SIT report of the UT police? Let the court decide the issue on merit,” said Rana.