Teachers sat on a dharna at Neelam Park in Bhopal on Tuesday demanding an increase in eligibility of qualified candidates. This demonstration is being staged by the candidates who have passed the Teacher Eligibility Test in the year 2018. They have alleged that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had assured to recruit teachers at 62,000 posts, but recruitment was done on only 18,000 posts. Ranjit Gaur, who is leading the protest, said that today was a one-day symbolic demonstration, if the demands are not met, then from October 2, there will be a great agitation across the State. “We will not let the Government test our patience,” he added.

Other candidates, including Ranjit Gaur and Raksha Jain, who are leading the demonstration, said that permanent teacher recruitment is pending for the last four years. The government should complete the teacher recruitment at the earliest by conducting second counselling. Even before this, many dharnas were staged by the eligible candidates from time to time. Demonstrations have been going on in Bhopal for the last three days, but due to not getting permission, many candidates have returned. The administration deliberately allowed the demonstration with a delay, so as to dilute the protest. Now on Gandhi Jayanti, on October 2, 2022, a historic movement will be organised in the state, for which the State Government will be responsible. Result came in the year 2019: The State Government had issued notification in 2018 to fill more than 30 thousand posts of teacher class-1 and teacher class-2 for government schools. In this, there were 19,200 posts of class-1 and around 11,300 posts of class-2. After this 2,200 posts were added separately later. The eligibility test for these posts was conducted in 2019. The result of the Higher Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test came on 28 August 2019 and the result of the Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test came on October 26, 2019. After its result, the process of verification of all the selected teachers was also completed from January 2020 to April 2021.