Amidst High Court verdict over strict maintenance of reservation systems to appoint government employees, especially for qualified candidates of Selection Test for Graduate Teachers (STGT) under Teachers’ Recruitment Board, Tripura (TRBT), hundreds of STGT candidates once again on Tuesday morning met the Education Minister and Deputy Chief Minister demanding their early recruitment.

Soon after the verdict of the High Court of Tripura, in which a division bench of the Justice Arindam Lodh and Justice S G Chattopadhyay  had given a verdict on a writ petition on Monday and ordered d that the state government should never violate the reservation system and they have to maintain 31% reservation for ST candidates, 17 % vacant posts for SC candidates and rest number posts should be filled up from UR (general) category candidates.

Earlier, the TRBT through a notification  issued on July 15, 2022 said that altogether 230 STGT candidates will get the graduate teacher (GT) jobs for class-IX and X, in which  the notification violated the reservation system and exceeded the ST quota from 31% to above 70%. Now, the HC through clear-cut verdict  ordered that in any condition, the government cannot violate the reservation system , but it can add the backlog for one year to fill up vacant posts.

When, on Tuesday morning, STGT candidates read the HC verdict on newspapers, they immediately gathered at the residence of Education Minister Ratna Lal Nath and without getting any satisfactory reply; they rushed to the house of Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma in Gurkha Basti area of the city.

Later, Deputy CM met all qualified candidates of the STGT and assured them within days, he will speak to Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath to resolve their problems for their appointment before the ensuing assembly elections.

While speaking with the media persons, Jishnu Dev Varma said that ‘it’s not a matter for individual decision, it’s a collective and policy making decision, so it needs cabinet approval.’

“A police matter decision cannot be taken individually, its need cabinet nod and the government is very much eager to appoint them, as they through prescribed process qualified for the job,”, said Dev Varma and added that all the qualified STGT candidates are in distress due various reasons including their financial conditions and on the verge of to complete the upper age limit. In such circumstances, he personally wants to resolve their matter at the earliest by releasing their appointment at the earliest before assembly elections, said Deputy CM. Deputy CM also said that they will review the High Court verdict and will take steps as per law.

Agitated STGT candidates said that Deputy CM assured them within a short period, he will discuss the issues to CM and Education Minister to resolve their issues and they are very much hopeful that within present December, all qualified STGT candidates will get their appointment.

It may be recalled here that all qualified STGT candidates are continuing agitation  in front the residence of Ratan Lal Nath, even though they were also brutally assaulted by police forces during their peaceful demonstration on December 12 and injured above 40 candidates including a pregnant woman.