The State Level-V (Ex-Cadre) Teachers Mahasangha on Tuesday gave a 10-day ultimatum to the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Cuttack President to take stringent action against the organisation, which had conducted the Orissa Teachers Eligibility Test (OTET) and publish the results of the examinationa, held on January 16, 2019, as soon as possible.
Mahasangha president Sibalal Sahu alleged that the organisation was conducting the test in an unruly manner and the BSE, without taking action against the organisation, put the future of the teachers into dark.
Notably, the OTET is conducted twice a year by the BSE. However, the latest OTET was conducted on January 16, 2019 after a gap of two years. But the test was cancelled all of a sudden citing question paper leak.
The Mahasangha also alleged that while the OTET test was cancelled, the BSE authorities took the decision unilaterally by which about 1, 26,000 teachers, who had prepared for the examination, were put in trouble.
The BSE even did not hold a probe as to who leaked the question papers before cancelling the test. Challenging the decision of the BSE, the OTET examinees moved the Orissa High Court.
Finally, the BSE outsourced an organisation outside the State to conduct the OTET from August 5 which was held in three sittings in a day. However, the question papers were faulty.
Besides, it has been an online test for the first time. While the teachers have no knowledge of computer, they are made to take the test online. In certain far-flung and interior areas, the examinees have to cover a distance of 250 km to take the online test.
The Mahasangha members warned that they would gherao the BSE office if no action is taken in 10-days.
Among others, Mahasangha general secretary Bulu Behera, treasurer Amiya Baral, Umakanta Nayak, Bidyut Tripathy and Suprit Khuntia were present.