In a political master stroke the ailing Chief Minister Harish Rawat has been able to secure the support of the agitating unemployed youths of the state for Congress party in the assembly bypolls.
The federations of Bachelor of Education (B Ed)/ Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and Master of Physical education (M. P Ed)/ Bachelor of Physical Education (B.P Ed) have extended their support for the congress party candidates in the assembly by-election of Dharchula, Doiwala and Someshwar.
The support of these agitating federations is significant as thousands of employed youths are waiting for the government jobs especially in the education department. The Federation of B Ed/ TET unemployed youths was spearheading a long agitation for recruitment in primary teacher cadre of the state. The Federation was sitting on a Dharna in front of education directorate from January 5. The Federation recently threatened that it would oppose Congress in the assembly by polls. An alarmed Chief Minister Harish Rawat sent his representative Sushil Rathi to talk with the federation and he was successful in placating the federation. On CM’s assurance the federation suspended its agitation and announced its support for Congress candidates.
There are more than 25000 B. Ed/ TET qualified unemployed youths in the state. A recent decision of the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) which enabled only the Diploma in Elementary Education (D El Ed) qualified candidates for becoming primary teachers prompted these (B Ed/ TET) youths to start an agitation for recruitment. Under pressure from the agitation the education department started the recruitment drive for 1891 posts of Primary teachers and later added some more posts in the drive. However the recruitment process received a jolt when Uttarakhand High Court (HC) quashed the recruitment advertisement of these posts of primary teacher on the ground that the process of recruitment is not as per the guidelines laid down in the Uttarakhand Primary Teacher Service Rules 2012-amended 2013.
Similarly the M. P Ed/D.P.Ed/ B.P.Ed qualified unemployed graduates in the state are demanding that on lines of the neighbouring states the Uttarakhand government should also create a post of Physical education teacher in the primary schools of the state. The Federation also is fighting a protracted battle on the issue. There are about 17000 such youths in the state and after getting assurance from the Chief Minister this federation too has declared its support for the Congress candidates in the Assembly bypolls.