Editor,
I wish to highlight a growing and deeply concerning trend in the conduct of recruitment processes for the TGT examination in Arunachal Pradesh.
At the outset, the official advertisement clearly stated that final-year BEd candidates were not eligible to apply. However, under organised pressure from a section of aspirants, this condition was relaxed and they were allowed to participate. Such a reversal, though seemingly accommodative, raises serious questions about the consistency and credibility of institutional decisions.
Disturbingly, the same pattern appears to be repeating. While many aspirants are demanding that TET be made mandatory in accordance with NCTE guidelines, another group is again pressurising the commission to dilute this essential requirement. This selective acceptance of rules – supporting changes only when they are convenient – undermines the very idea of a fair and standardised recruitment process.
The NCTE has clearly laid down that TET is a minimum eligibility condition for teaching posts like TGT. Ignoring this not only compromises the quality of education but also sends a message that statutory norms can be negotiated through collective pressure.
Further, even the conditional allowance granted to final-year BEd candidates comes with a clear clause: they must produce their original certificates during document verification or viva voce, failing which their candidature will be rejected. However, one cannot ignore the likely scenario that if such candidates qualify but fail to produce the required documents on time, they may once again form groups and demand relaxation or extension. If entertained, this will set a dangerous cycle in motion.
As the old saying goes, If you bend the rules once, they will expect it every time. Once rules are bent under pressure, it becomes increasingly difficult to enforce them strictly in the future. Today it is eligibility, tomorrow it may be document deadlines, and eventually the entire process risks being shaped not by rules, but by repeated demands.
This culture of organised pressure to influence administrative decisions is fast becoming normalised. If such tendencies continue unchecked, it will erode institutional integrity and create an uneven playing field for sincere and rule-abiding candidates.
Recruitment to public posts must be governed by transparency, fairness, and strict adherence to established norms – not by shifting demands. The commission must take a firm stand to uphold its own rules and align fully with the national regulatory frameworks.
A concerned aspirant