Aspirants who are demanding that TGT-PGT recruitment in aided secondary schools be conducted under the old rules, ended their 19-day indefinite hunger strike on Wednesday, following an assurance from chief minister Yogi Adityanath. However, the protesters stated that their agitation will be considered successful only once a formal government order is issued.
District magistrate Manish Kumar Verma and police commissioner Piyush Mordia reached the Directorate of Education around 11:30 am, urging the four fasting aspirants, Praveen Kumar (Bulandshahr), Roshan Saroj and Shimla Patel (Azamgarh) and Meena Devi (Pratapgarh) to end their protest.
The protesters initially refused, insisting they would only break their fast after their leader Ashutosh Pandey arrived to offer them juice. Pandey was subsequently contacted and asked to meet officials at the office of the additional director of education (secondary), Kamta Ram Pal.
While the district magistrate eventually persuaded Roshan Saroj and Praveen Kumar to drink juice, the two women continued their fast. Pandey arrived about an hour later and offered juice to the remaining protesters, formally bringing the 19-day strike to an end.
The aspirants said they decided to call off the fast after receiving assurances regarding their demand for one additional opportunity in TGT-PGT recruitment under the old rules and syllabus.
{{/usCountry}}The aspirants said they decided to call off the fast after receiving assurances regarding their demand for one additional opportunity in TGT-PGT recruitment under the old rules and syllabus.
{{/usCountry}}The protesters claimed the fast could have concluded on Tuesday following the chief minister’s initial assurance, but the impasse continued because officials had not agreed to their request to bring Pandey to the site. The district magistrate and police commissioner had visited the Directorate late Tuesday night, but the protesters refused to yield. The deadlock was finally resolved Wednesday once Pandey was brought to the venue.
Pandey emphasised that the movement is not over, describing the end of the hunger strike as only one stage of their campaign. He stated that the aspirants would await a formal government order granting affected candidates another opportunity under the old recruitment rules. He added that if necessary, they would continue to press their demands through democratic means.
The aspirants are seeking a one-time exemption for candidates affected by revised conditions regarding subjects, TET qualifications, or graduation and post-graduation marks. They have also requested a review of reservation-related provisions and other rules impacting eligibility.