Election delays recruitment of government schoolteachers

Mangaluru: The recruitment of 523 permanent teachers for class 6 to 8 students of government schools in Dakshina Kannada has been delayed due to the assembly election process. It is not likely to happen before the commencement of the next academic year.
The recruitment process that started in October 2022 was expected to be completed by June 2023, with new teachers joining the school for the new academic year. However, the process was delayed earlier as several candidates moved the high court after questioning the government rule of 1986 which stated that a woman candidate (except SC/ST) who applied for a teaching job, if married, should furnish the income certificate details of her spouse and not her parents.
However, the court's decision was delivered in favour of candidates, and it said that job aspirants can furnish the income certificate of their parents. The decision was made in February. "Now is delayed once again due to the upcoming assembly polls, and may take another six months for completion of the recruitment process and teachers to join schools," said an official from the department of public instruction.
When TOI contacted DR Naik, DDPI, Dakshina Kannada, he said that earlier, the total sanctioned posts were 575, which is now down to 523 after the first round of verification. Currently, there is an official order to undertake the second and final round of document verification. "Under this process, each original certificate produced by a candidate is sent to departments concerned to be checked. For example, a PU certificate is sent to the PU board for verification," he said, adding that only after this process is finalised, appointment orders will be issued to candidates.
Sources from the DPI added that DK is grappling with an acute shortage of teachers in government schools. Speedy recruitment of teachers and their joining work will bring relief to students.