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Uttar Pradesh government forms committee to probe recruitment scam for primary teachers

Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday constituted a high-level committee to probe a recruitment scam in the examination held for 68,500 assistant teachers in primary schools

Updated on: Sep 8, 2018, 18:18:10 IST
Hindustan Times, Lucknow | By
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The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday constituted a high-level committee to probe a recruitment scam in the examination held for 68,500 assistant teachers in primary schools and suspended a top official of exam regulatory authority, officials said.

The recruitment exam for assistant teachers was conducted on May 27, 2018. The exam was held at 248 centres spread across 18 divisions of UP. (HT File Photo)
The recruitment exam for assistant teachers was conducted on May 27, 2018. The exam was held at 248 centres spread across 18 divisions of UP. (HT File Photo)

But disgruntled candidates who did not make it to the final list, are demanding CBI probe into the matter. They have been staging protest in the state capital for a week.

On Saturday, the government suspended Sutta Singh, secretary, exam regulatory authority, Allahabad with immediate effect and ordered disciplinary action against her as per rules. She has been replaced by Anil Bhushan Chaturvedi who was posted as joint director (secondary education) of Meerut and Saharanpur divisions.

Secretary, Basic Shiksha Parishad, Sanjay Sinha has been relieved from his post but he would continue to discharge his duties as director, State Council of Education, Research and Training (SCERT), Lucknow. In his place Ruby Singh, additional education director posted in basic education directorate, Lucknow was appointed as secretary, Basic Shiksha Parishad, Allahabad.

On directives of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the state government has formed a three-member committee headed by principal secretary, Sanjay R Bhoosreddy. State project director (UP Education For All Project Board), Vedpati Mishra and Director of Basic Education Sarvendra Vikram Bahadur Singh are the other two members.

“The committee will probe the anomaly in assistant teacher recruitment process and fix accountability of those involved. The panel will submit its report in seven days and will suggest measures to plug loopholes to prevent a recurrence of the scam,” Manisha Trighatia, Secretary, Basic Education said.

The recruitment exam for assistant teachers was conducted on May 27, 2018. The exam was held at 248 centres spread across 18 divisions of UP.

The result was declared on August 13, 2018. The first district allocation list for counselling was announced on August 31, 2018 while second district allocation list for counselling was declared on September 2, 2018.

The scam blew up in the third week of August when a candidate Sonika Devi filed in writ petition in the Allahabad high court claiming that her answer sheet was replaced.

During the recruitment process, a list featuring names of 23 candidates surfaced out of which 21 had appeared in the exam and failed but were declared qualified in the result. Similarly, two candidates who had not even appeared in the exam were declared qualified. After the matter came to light, the department withheld result of all such unqualified teachers.

  • Rajeev Mullick
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Rajeev Mullick

    Rajeev Mullick, Assistant Editor, is a Lucknow-based journalist with over 26 years of experience covering governance, public policy and administration in Uttar Pradesh. His reporting focuses on the district administration, the Divisional Commissioner's Office, the Regional Meteorological Centre, and government policies relating to technical, higher, secondary and primary education. Known for impactful public-interest journalism, his investigations have led to significant policy attention, including a report on deficiencies in a state-run school footwear distribution scheme that prompted widespread national coverage and High Court intervention. He broke the story on the Uttar Pradesh government's One District One Cuisine initiative, highlighting the inclusion of sweets and the exclusion of non-vegetarian dishes, triggering widespread public debate. He covered Mahakumbh 2025 at Prayagraj, reports on the event's administrative, logistical and civic dimensions. From 2012 to 2024, he headed the Lucknow City Bureau, leading coverage of the state's administrative and civic developments while mentoring young reporters. He loves to travel, listen to music. He is fond of eating good food both veg and non veg. He has travelled to several states like West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Family Nadu, Kerela, Bihar, Jharkhand and home state UP.Read More