AGARTALA, April 23 (TIWN): Reacting over the state BJP’s demand of teachers recruitment without professional qualifications, Congress leader Gopal Roy said, “The demand of Teachers recruitment without B.Ed degree is not new, rather it has been demanding by the previous CPI-M Govt since years. I am neither with CPI-M nor BJP but whatever it is, the quality should be maintained and B.Ed qualified and undergoing B.Ed students should get first priority”. “But if one sees it closely, the intrigue behind it will be seen. Since years the CPI-M was crying foul for relaxation but the BJP led Central Govt on that time didn’t permit for it”, Gopal Roy told TIWN on Monday. The issue was raised, after Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb proposed the PMO to modify the NCTE norms to appoint teachers without professional qualifications.

The BJP government in Tripura has urged the Centre for one-time relaxation in academic and other qualifications to facilitate recruitment of 12,222 teachers to overcome their shortage in the state. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb met the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Nripendra Mishra on Friday in New Delhi and took up the state's six demands, including recruitment of teachers.

According to the Right of the Child to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act of 2009 and NCTE guidelines, Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) is mandatory for recruitment of teachers in government schools. To appear for the TET, the candidate ought to have 50 per cent marks in certain subjects and a Bachelor's degree or Diploma in Elementary Education or Diploma in Education.

Noteworthy, the HRD Ministry had earlier relaxed the minimum qualification norms for teachers, as notified by the NCTE, for Assam and West Bengal. But when MP Jitendra Choudhury went to HRD Minister Prakash Yavedkar, regarding 10323 teachers issue, demanding one-time relaxation for them, the Minister said, after Supreme Court’s order nothing can be done.

But now the undergoing B.Ed qualified teachers and already qualified teachers have reacted sharply against the BJP Govt in Tripura as before the Election, the Govt said, “There will be no compromise with Quality Education”.