HC issues notice to Guj govt over 'Vidyasahayak' scheme

Gujarat High Court today issued notice to the state government on a petition seeking change in the age relaxation criteria for recruitment of assistant teachers on fixed pay in primary schools under 'Vidyasahayak' scheme.
A division bench of Justice Ravi Tripathi and Justice Mohinder Pal was hearing a petition seeking change in the age relaxation on the ground that no recruitment has been done under the Vidyasahayk scheme since five years.
"The state government has decided to give age relaxation in the recruitment of the teachers in upper primary section whereas, no age relaxation has been given in the recruitment of teachers for lower primary section," the petition filed by Dinesh Patel and others said.

The upper primary section consists class VI to VIII and lower primary section from class I to V.
As the education department has not recruited teachers under the Vidyasahayak scheme, those candidates who were eligible earlier are now getting over aged and can be deprived of their right for appointment, the petitioners argued.
"Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for Vidyasahayk recruitment was held on June 10, 2012, while advertisement for recruitment of Vidyasahayak was issued after a period of 2 years," argued advocate K B Pujara on petitioners' behalf.

The court, while admitting the petition, cited a Supreme Court ruling over delayed selection and recruitment process in government departments.

"If the selection process is not taking place due to non-notification of the authority, it will have a deleterious effect on the psyche of the people. The dereliction of duty is seriously eroding the constitutional rights of an eligible candidate," the bench said.
In May 2013, the apex court had come down heavily on the state government and termed Vidyasahayk scheme as "shiksha shatrus" (enemies of education) for underpaying teachers.