HP School Teacher Recruitment News: A major hurdle has emerged in the recruitment of Nursery Teacher Training (NTT) teachers for government schools in Himachal Pradesh. The recruitment process, initiated through the State Electronic Corporation, has found only 14 eligible candidates from a pool of nearly 10,000 applicants for 6,297 positions.
The responsibility to fill these posts was given to 14 different companies. However, the stringent eligibility criteria have led to a massive shortfall in qualified candidates.
Two-Year Diploma Mandatory
The Education Department had previously clarified that the recruitment would be conducted under the rules of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). These rules make a two-year NTT diploma from a recognized institution mandatory for applicants.
Most Candidates Have a One-Year Diploma
The core of the problem lies in the fact that a majority of the candidates in the state possess only a one-year NTT diploma. Furthermore, the diplomas of some applicants are from institutions that are not even recognized by the NCTE. The Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission had previously shut down several such institutes in the state.
Complaints Lead to Scrutiny
Initially, the State Electronic Corporation had made selections and even issued appointment orders. However, after complaints poured in, Education Minister Rohit Thakur directed the Corporation to first verify all diplomas before proceeding further with the recruitment process.
Matter Reaches Central Government
The State Project Director of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Rajesh Sharma, has discussed the issue with officials from the Union Education Ministry. He has requested a relaxation of the rules, arguing that most candidates in Himachal have a one-year diploma. The proposal suggests allowing these candidates to complete a bridge course, which the department would conduct at DIET centres. A full proposal has been sent to the centre, but no exemption has been granted yet.
No Leeway Without Centre’s Nod: Education Minister
Education Minister Rohit Thakur stated that it was pre-decided that the NTT recruitment would follow NCTE rules. He confirmed that details have been sought from the State Electronic Corporation and that the matter of relaxation has been raised with the central government. “If the centre provides relief, the further process will be initiated,” he said.
The future of this recruitment drive now hangs in the balance. If the central government does not grant an exemption, the process could be stalled. The fixed honorarium of ₹10,000 is also seen as a deterrent for attracting candidates from other states. Since the central government will bear the salary cost of these teachers, Himachal cannot unilaterally relax the rules. This issue has created a new controversy for the Sukhu government, which had initiated the process after making changes to the rules upon coming to power.
