Vyapam scam redux in Yogi Adityanath’s Uttar Pradesh?
LUCKNOW: After taking the selection examination in May, Sonika Devi was confident she would easily be one among 68,000-odd primary teachers being appointed through a government drive in Uttar Pradesh’s public schools.
Her optimism, however, turned to despair when she failed to make the cut. But Sonika was not ready to accept the result and challenged it in the Allahabad High Court. When a panel appointed by the HC when checked her examination copy again, it found that the handwriting on the bar-coded cover page didn’t match the one found on the answer sheet inside. Clearly, her answer sheet had been swapped with someone else.
The latest drive, was initiated to appoint 68,500 assistant teachers in government schools. It was the first mega recruitment process under the Yogi Adityanath government. Over one lakh aspirants appeared for the exam which was conducted on May 27, 2018 at 248 centres across 18 divisions of Uttar Pradesh. The result was declared on August 13 in which only 41,000 aspirants could qualify.
Sonika’s case is one of several anomalies found in the results of the examination. Another petitioner, Rekha Singh, who scored 65 — two less than required cut off — had actually scored 80 and would have easily made the cut.
Rekha along with Anupam Pratap Sharma, Sheo Poojan Yadav and scores of others are now among the petitioners who have challenged the examination before the HC. The court has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case.
Though the Uttar Pradesh government has challenged the single-bench order of the HC, the CBI has already commenced the probe its crime branch has lodged an FIR against unknown officials of the state’s basic education department and the agency that conducted the examination.
The premier investigative agency will provide a probe progress report on Monday. The state government has set up a three-member high-powered committee and suspended an officer while transferring a few others. The HC however, ordered the CBI probe nevertheless.
“The Director, Central Bureau of Investigation shall make an investigation in regard to the entire process of selection initiated for the recruitment of Assistant Teachers in Primary Schools against 68,500 posts, which is known as Assistant Teacher Recruitment Examination, 2018 initiated in pursuance to an advertisement dated 23.1.2018, taking into consideration the observation made in the order and the material taken notice by this Court and submit a report of the progress of the investigation in the matter to this Court on the date fixed. However, it is further directed that against the Officers who are found involved in corrupt practices, if any, necessary action in accordance with law be taken by the competent authority,” ordered Justice Irshad Ali.
In its order, the court asked the CBI to complete the probe within six months. During the hearing, the state government accepted that the agency hired to bar code the answer sheets admitted that copies of 12 candidates were changed. It further admitted that 23 candidates who were declared to be qualified, had not done so in the first list.
Meanwhile, in the second list, 24 candidates who had not qualified according to the result, had actually scored the sufficient marks. The court was also told that the firm had committed a mistake and pages of the copies of the candidates were found attached to copies of other candidates. Following the anomalies, the government withheld the entire appointment process and ordered re-evaluation of all the copies afresh, it said.
The HC noted that two of the members of the government’s inquiry panel, were from the basic education department.
In another decision, the HC cancelled appointments of 12,460 assistant teachers done in 2016 claiming that they were selected without following the Uttar Pradesh Basic Education (Teachers) Service Rules, 1981. The state government has been asked to started the appointment process afresh and complete the selection within three months in 2016 case. However, those selected in 2016 are yet to get their appointment letters owing to stay on the process.
This is not the first time such irregularities have surfaced in the selection and examination process of a government job in UP. The recruitment of these teachers however, had been carried out under the glare of the public eye.
Over the past 20 years, every selection process undertaken by subsequent state governments or the selection board or commission, has been marred by controversy. These include question paper leaks, graft and favouritism. However, no action has been taken in a majority of the cases, aside from the formation of an inquiry panel and a few suspensions.
Another key issue plaguing the state’s education system is that of proxy teachers. Teachers, especially those in rural areas, often appoint pay someone else to take classes instead of them.
Consequently, basic shiksha adhikaris (BSA) in Allahabad have decided to stick photos of teachers on the front wall of basic schools with their details. Assistant basic shiksha adhikaris (ABSAs) of respective blocks have been instructed to attest their photos and details.
A look at the numbers
7.60 lakh sanctioned strength of teachers in basic schools.
1.75 lakh shortage in state-run schools
17,732 teachers deployed irrationally
1349 upper primary schools did not meet the ppupil-teacherratio (PTR)
7,264 primary schools and 2,377 upper primary schools
with less than 50 students exceeded the PTR.
119 teachers posted in primary schools and 30,730 in upper primary schools did not possess the required qualification during the evaluation period, after right to education (RTE) Act
The RTE act requires that all teachers without the minimum qualification should acquire it within 5 years