Who will recruit teachers in 973 Sanskrit schools, colleges in U.P.?
There are 403 govt-aided colleges in which 929 posts of teachers and 249 posts of principals are lying vacant; in 570 Sanskrit schools the numbers are 1021 and 307 posts of teachers and principals vacant, respectively
A piquant situation prevails in the Hindi heartland state of Uttar Pradesh.
It is unclear which board or commission will undertake appointment of regular teachers in 403 government-aided Sanskrit Degree colleges and 570 Sanskrit secondary schools of the state.
On March 28, 2018, after amending the U.P. Board of Secondary Sanskrit Education (Appointment and Conditions of Service of Heads of Institution, Teachers and other employees of the Institutions Rules, 2009), the state government had given the right to recruit regular
teachers in government-aided Sanskrit schools to the Uttar Pradesh Secondary Education Service Selection Board (UPSESSB).
In 2019, the secondary education department even sent a requisition for appointing 1,282 teachers in Sanskrit secondary schools.
Similarly, the responsibility of appointing teachers in Sanskrit colleges of the state was given to the Uttar Pradesh Higher Education Service Commission (UPHESC).
Both these institutions have now merged with the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC) formed last year by the Yogi Adityanath government.
On the issue, chairperson of the newly formed commission, Prof Kirti Pandey said, “The new commission has not got the responsibility of appointing Sanskrit teachers till now.”
In such a situation, the question in the minds of aspirants as well as the officials handling these Sanskrit institutions is how and who selects regular teachers in these institutions.
Due to the delay in the appointments, teachers are being selected on a contract basis in government-aided Sanskrit secondary schools from 2019.
The situation can be gauged from the fact that almost half the posts of regular teachers are lying vacant in Sanskrit schools and colleges. According to a report presented in the meeting held by the state government on March 17, 2023, out of the 2,085 posts of teachers created in government-aided Sanskrit secondary schools, 1,064 teachers were working, and 1,021 posts were vacant. Likewise, out of the 570 posts created for principals, 307 were lying vacant.
Out of 403 posts of Principals in Sanskrit colleges, 249 were lying vacant and out of 1,889 posts of teachers, 929 posts were lying vacant.
Founder president of Voice of Teachers, an association of Sanskrit teachers in the state, Rajesh Mishra says, “The state government needs to end this uncertainty and make clear which body will undertake the recruitment of teachers and principals in government-aided Sanskrit degree colleges and secondary schools of the state. It also needs to initiate the recruitment process in these institutions in the interest of the students.”