Attacking lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on the recruitment issue of guest teacher, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged that the l-G refused to have a discussion on the issue of granting weighting on marks to guest teachers during recruitment.
However, Baijal said relaxation in age has already been granted to guest teachers in direct recruitment and granting of weightage on marks to a certain category of candidates will be a violation of the Constitution.
Backing Sisodia, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the l-G’s stand over the issue was not correct. “l-G sir, (Jantantar samvand se chalta hai) democracy is run by dialogue. The whole world recognises Manish Sisodia’s work in transforming Delhi’s education system. And you are not even willing to engage wid him on the issue of teachers’appointment. This is not correct sir (sic),” Kejriwal tweeted.
Sisodia, who is also Delhi’s Education Minister, wrote to Baijal after a meeting on Thursday expressing his “disappointment” and said he went for a discussion following a Delhi High Court order.
“The High Court in its last hearing on a matter related to teachers’ recruitment had directed that you and I should put our heads together to resolve the guest teacher issue. But when I came to meet you today, I was deeply disturbed to find that you were not willing to even discuss the issue,” he said in the letter. “You said to me that the decision on the issue is your prerogative and you were firm that there was no scope of discussion,” said Sisodia.
Countering the allegations, the l-G office, issued a statement saying, “The Deputy CM was informed that the matter has been examined in detail and after an elaborate legal consultation, it was the considered view that granting of weightage on marks to a category of candidates is violative of the constitutional rights under Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution”.
“Successive law secretaries as well as senior law officers have also opined against grant of weightage on marks in recruitment process,” it added.
Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) has already advertised 9,232 vacancies and the entire process is slated to be completed by September 15. So far, 5.5 lakh applications have been received for recruitment against these vacancies.
“It is extremely important that the process, now started to fill vacant posts of teachers, is completed expeditiously. Age relaxation has already been granted to the guest teachers to appear for the DSSSB examination,” the l-G office said.
Sisodia and Baijal have been at loggerheads over the issue of guest teachers with the former demanding that either a Bill be passed for regularisation of guest teachers or they be granted some weightage in the teacher recruitment process.