Hyderabad: The 1,232 candidates, who cracked the TSPSC examination in 2017, for the recruitment of 616 physical education teachers (PETs) in government-run residential schools are caught in a piquant situation and are calling out for help.
They had cleared the recruitment test six years back but the process ran into legal difficulties. Last year, the High Court gave the go-ahead for their recruitment but the then state government did not take action. Now, the TS Public Service Commission (TSPSC), which has to give the recruitment order, is without officials following the change in government. Time is running out as a series of elections lie ahead. What is worse is that some of the candidates would have crossed the age limit.
The frustration is palpable.
B. Kanaka Durga, 35, from Kothagudem village of Ananthagiri mandal in Suryapet district said that a government job would have been her family’s ticket out of poverty.
"Both my brothers are not very educated and eke out a living as agricultural labourers though we have three acres of land. I may end up taking up agricultural labour work," said Kanaka Durga. She had given up a private job to prepare for the 2023 physical director posts.
The government had reserved 450 seats for women. Of the 1,232 successful candidates, nearly 900 were courtesy the 80 per cent reservation owing to the higher number of Gurukul schools for girls.
Their recruitment was stalled due to a mismatch with the guidelines of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), which state that to teach students up to Class 8, PETs must have an Intermediate qualification along with a diploma in physical education. Those teaching Classes IX and X, must be physical education graduates and should have participated at the district or state-level sports events.
The TSPSC in its 2017 notification did not make such a distinction, leading to court cases that halted the recruitment process.
The BRS government did not take the process forward though the High Court directed the TSPSC to divide the candidates into two categories and declare results based on merit on October 26, 2022 (writ petition 6,657 of 2022).
The candidates aver that they could have taken the then BRS government to court for contempt.
"We desisted from doing that as the TSPSC would have used it to delay the case further," says Uma Rani, a candidate awaiting posting.
As the state government has said that TSPSC will be revamped before holding exams again, the 2017 batch of Gurukul PET candidates are seeking appointment letters as their recruitment process has been completed.
This, they say, is important as the model code of conduct for the parliamentary polls, expected to be held by April, would kick in shortly.
The candidates had made umpteen attempts to highlight their plight to officials and political leaders. But political developments have caused a cloud of uncertainty over their jobs, with the chairman and members of the TSPSC having tendered their resignation after the Congress government took over. The resignations have not been accepted, as yet.
A former TSPSC official, who did not wish to be named, said, "For the process to be taken forward, the TSPSC board has to be constituted, first and foremost."
He contended that there was no work division among PETs in Gurukul schools, which have Class 12.
"All students play and exercise together. The government can take a decision in tune with the High Court order and arrive at a formula after seeking legal opinion. We are pinning our hopes on Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s assurance during campaigning that we would get our posts once the party is in power," Kanaka Durga said. Banda Srinivas, who hails from Dudyal of Kodangal also has similar hopes.
