Protest against Teachers’ Recruitment Scam in Uttar Pradesh on 2 July

THE agitation against the 69,000 Teachers Recruitment scam is intensifying. Students have announced that they will hold a protest at the Exam Regulatory Authority (PNP) office on 2 July 2020. The students say that they have been struggling for 15 months but the government is not willing to listen to them, and instead of arresting those involved in the corruption they are shielding them. The accused persons have close relations with government Ministers and so the government wants to hush up this scam. But the students will not bow down and will raise their demands through the protest at the PNP office.

Nyay Morcha Uttar Pradesh convener Sunil Maurya appealed to students and youth and social organizations to join the fight against corruption. He said that the fight against the corruption rampant in the 69000 Teachers Recruitment Exam and the demand to cancel the exam and constitute a CBI enquiry into the scam started from the very day of the exam. Consistent dharna protests were held for 2 months at the PNP, and 2 petitions were filed in the Allahabad HC for cancellation of the exam. On 12 May the results of the written exam were declared. A total of 1,46,060 candidates passed the exam; that is, more than double the number of vacant posts (69,000).

Sunil Maurya said that the corruption in the exam came to light on 6 May 2020 and some people have been arrested whereas some are still absconding. The probe has been taken away from the UP police and given to STF. The STF, instead of exposing the corruption, is doing a whitewash job. Therefore, candidates are appealing on social media for a CBI enquiry into the scam. Youth in Uttar Pradesh are not able to come out on the streets because of the Lockdown, because we have to defeat the global Corona pandemic. But we also have to defeat corruption.

The fact that a consequent series of candidates from a particular classroom have all passed the exam is clear proof that mass cheating was done. This is not limited to one instance but has come to light in many schools including Islamia Majidia Inter College Prayagraj, Bal Vidya Bharati Prayagraj as well as schools in Azamgarh, Sultanpur, Jaunpur, Ambedkarnagar, Meerut, Varanasi and Faizabad. The fact that all members of a single family have scored exactly the same marks also raises questions.

He pointed out that students who scored barely 82 marks in the TET exam have scored 140, 141, 142 and 143 marks after merely 20 days of preparation; while students who honestly worked hard have been served with nothing but disappointment. Moreover, no coaching institution in Uttar Pradesh is acknowledging that the toppers of this exam are from their institution. According to the students these ‘toppers’ are not associated with any educational institution but have been self-employed for years.

He said that it is very important to note that the answer key to the exam questions had gone viral on social media even before the exam, and students protested against this on the day of the exam, but the authorities did not take cognizance of this. The matter is sub-judice and the deserving and educated youth of Uttar Pradesh are living in hopelessness and helplessness.

Nyay Morcha joint conveners Sumit Gautam and Uday Bhan Chaudhury demanded a CBI enquiry into the scam, saying that the government was not doing so because it would expose the widespread corruption. They pointed out that in the exam (conducted on 6 January 2019) more than 1000 students have given wrong details of their booklet series. For example, a student who got A series has marked B C or D series as per the 150 question answer key. Despite this, their results were also declared.

The students’ request to the government is that they should proceed further in the 69000 Teachers Recruitment only after a CBI enquiry is conducted into the matter, so that a cruel joke is not played on deserving candidates.

Nyay Morcha leaders said that not only in the 69000 recruitment exam, but large scale irregularities have also taken place in the LTGIC exam conducted by the UP Public Service Commission, as a result of which former exam controller Anju Katihar and printing press owner Kaushik Kumar are in jail. But the government still is not taking corruption seriously. The Nyay Morcha leaders appealed to students and youth to support the fight against this corruption.

The following are the demands of th e protesting students:

• The 69000 Teachers Recruitment Exam should be cancelled in view of the massive corruption.
• The entire matter should be handed over for CBI enquiry.
• The guilty persons involved in the corruption should be arrested and punished.
• PNP Secretary and Basic Education Minister responsible for the rampant irregularities and corruption in the exam must resign.