Former state BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Monday filed an application at Calcutta High Court seeking an order asking the state primary education board to reschedule the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) as the current date — December 24 — coincides with the Prime Minister’s visit to the city.
The TET is held to shortlist candidates for appointment in government-aided primary schools.
“On December 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to Calcutta. The Prime Minister has various programmes in the city. The candidates to appear in TET may face problems because of changes in the traffic management system that day,” Ghosh, a Lok Sabha member, said in his petition.
The petition was submitted before a division bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam. Court officials said the petition may come up for hearing this week.
Gautam Paul, president of the primary education board, said: “We will await the court’s verdict.”
BJP sources said the Prime Minister will attend a programme at the Brigade Parade Ground on December 24. They did not speak about any other programme of the Prime Minister.
The TET was originally scheduled for December 10. The primary education board deferred the test citing “some logistical issues”.
An education department official said: “This (the BJP leader’s petition) is a ploy to derail the recruitment process. Of the 773 TET centres across the state, Calcutta has only five. Barely 2,000 candidates are expected to write the test in these five centres.”
Around 3.09 lakh candidates are expected to write the examination across the state.
“We will have rallies or processions on Sundays. That does not mean the exam-conducting body will not be able to conduct the test. We have to fill up the vacancies,” another board official said.
Education minister Bratya Basu had last week said the number of vacant teacher posts at various levels in government-aided schools was more than 45,000. Of
this, 11,765 posts are vacant at the primary level (Classes I to V).
Teaching job aspirants frequently criticise the state government for its failure to conduct the recruitment exercise. “Now that we are initiating the exercise, disruptions are being created,” said a board official.