The decision of the state cabinet to make a panchayat leader along with two residents of the district concerned part of the five-member selection board to conduct interviews for the recruitment of teachers under the Samagra Shikhsa Abhiyan (SSA)/ISSE in the districts is highly regressive. This decision comes even as the majority of the recruitment drives for the state government jobs are conducted these days either through the APPSC or the APSSB. The education department has made a massive blunder by deciding to conduct interviews for SSA teachers at the district level.
Bizarrely, the board members will include panchayat leaders along with two residents of the district. These two citizens have to be qualified and respected. The department should tell the people of the state what criteria would be required to be ‘qualified and respected’. The cabinet decision is not only shocking but laughable. In fact, on social media the people of the state are making fun of the decision and reacting angrily. It seems like the education secretary and the chief secretary, who were part of the cabinet’s decision-making process, did not properly brief the cabinet ministers. IAS officers are expected to properly guide the cabinet in such important matters. By deciding to conduct interviews at the district level, the education department is virtually giving power to the MLAs to influence the outcomes of the interviews. The MLAs will definitely have a say in the nomination of the panchayat leaders and the so-called qualified citizens directly or indirectly. Therefore, in the best interest of the state and the education sector, the interview should be conducted centrally. Get the best people as board members and select quality teachers for a better future for the state.