Gurukul PETs on Cloud Nine After Seven-Year Ordeal Ends

Hyderabad:Approximately 616 Gurukul teacher post aspirants, who had cracked the TSPSC PET-2017 exam, woke up to the best possible news in seven years after they were finally given appointment letters on Monday. On this momentous occasion, many said that this was the finest bathukamma gift they could have ever hoped for.

Elated at her new-found joy, B. Kanaka Durga (36) said “Our families are happy that we can look ahead in life now as marks the end of poverty. We had met every minister in the earlier government except Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for a speedy action. The government should see that no other student suffers like us.”

M. Bhargavi, who had hit the headlines for contesting against Rao for the Kamareddy Assembly seat, said, “The officials in the previous government had threatened to even cancel our notification when we sought to know the status of our jobs.”

Her father M. Ramulu, a retired bank employee thanked the government for finally delivering on its promise. “I cannot forget how I felt after we got the appointment letter. Some students thanked me and my daughter for doing our bit and standing by them,” he said.

It may be recalled that the ordeal of these aspirants had arisen owing to lack of clarity in the notification given by the TSPSC in 2017. It was contrary to the guidelines of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), which states to teach up to Class VIII, PETs must have an Intermediate qualification along with a diploma in physical education, while those teaching classes IX and X, must be physical education graduates and should have participated at state/district-level sports meets. TSPSC, however, in its 2017 notification did not make such distinction causing confusion and leading to court cases that halted the recruitment process.

Thanking Deccan Chronicle for standing by them through this difficult journey, a delighted B. Srinivas from Kodangal, said, “You gave us the required coverage when we gave a requisition letter to the then TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy. The support continued from thereafter. This government kept its word. I hope they issue a job calendar as promised.”

Arun Kumar, who got his appointment letter from the Chief Minister on Sunday, said that the BRS government had neglected job seekers. All pending notifications have been cleared by this government.

B. Ramulu, counsel in the High Court for B.PEd candidates, said that while being jubilant at this development, he said that the appointments will be subject to outcome of a pending writ petition with regard to horizontal reservation.

“Only very few will be affected depending on the High Court judgement. Many of them had become over-aged thereby disqualifying them from appearing in future exams.”