Unemployed teachers protest in Mohali over recruitment delay; stopped on border

Mohali: Unemployed teachers, who have qualified B.Ed and Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), staged a protest in Mohali on Wednesday, demanding the immediate initiation of recruitment for master cadre and lecturer posts in Punjab. They were stopped at borders by the Chandigarh police.

The protesters, who have been campaigning for recruitment opportunities for several years, marched towards Chandigarh, but were stopped by the police at the Mohali-Chandigarh border. Tension prevailed as protesters attempted to move forward, leading to scuffles with police personnel. Some protesters managed to breach the barricades before being detained by the cops.

The agitating teachers accused the Punjab govt of repeatedly delaying the recruitment process and making promises without taking concrete action. They alleged that despite several rounds of discussions, no meaningful progress had been made regarding fresh recruitment in the state education department.

Following the protest, a delegation of teachers held discussions with administrative officials. The administration assured the protesters that a meeting with the Punjab finance minister and other officials concerned would be arranged. The officials also promised to convene a panel meeting on June 9 to discuss the teachers’ demands.

However, the protesters warned that if no satisfactory outcome emerged from the June 9 meeting, they would launch a larger agitation in Chandigarh on June 16. The organization stated that its struggle would continue until the recruitment process was formally initiated.

Addressing the gathering, state president of the teachers’ body Jaswant Ghubaya said meetings with govt representatives had been taking place for several months, but none had resulted in any concrete decision. He alleged that the govt was merely buying time through assurances while failing to take practical steps towards recruitment.

Ghubaya further claimed that while the govt continued to publicize master cadre recruitment initiatives on social media, there had been no visible progress on the ground. He said unemployed teachers had consistently demanded the commencement of recruitment drives, but instead of addressing their concerns, the govt appeared focused on introducing new regulations.

He also questioned the proposed requirement of a minimum of 55% marks for eligibility, arguing that the condition was detrimental to unemployed youth and would exclude a large number of otherwise qualified candidates from the recruitment process. The organization demanded the immediate withdrawal of the condition and sought equal opportunities for all eligible applicants.

Ghubaya further stated that the Chief Minister had repeatedly assured unemployed youth that their concerns would be addressed on a priority basis. However, he alleged that those assurances have not translated into action, leading to growing resentment among job seekers across the state.