Manipur Government halts pre-primary teacher recruitment amid allegations of irregularities

The Manipur government has resolved to suspend the recruitment process for pre-primary teachers following allegations of irregularities. In a meeting chaired by the Education Minister, it was decided to place the engagement of 1,140 pre-primary teachers on hold and to have the entire process reviewed by a High-level Committee of Officers.

This decision comes in response to claims made by the Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) regarding irregularities in the recruitment process. The state government issued a release clarifying that the qualifications prescribed by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) for the recruitment of pre-primary teachers were addressed in official communications dated March 24, 2024, and June 13, 2024. The release specified that the relaxed qualifications would only be applicable if the department failed to find sufficient candidates with the requisite two-year diploma in Nursery Teacher Education/Pre-School Education/Early Childhood Education Programme (D.E.C.Ed) or a B.Ed. (Nursery) recognized by NCTE.

The government emphasized that the recruitment process was aligned with funding from the Government of India, with a 90:10 funding share, and aimed to provide employment opportunities to the youth and educational benefits to children aged 3-6 years. The claim that the government intended to recruit unqualified teachers was strongly refuted. Nevertheless, the recruitment process will remain on hold until a comprehensive review is completed.

Regarding the recent arrests of DESAM volunteers, the government stated that the police action was in response to violent acts, including the destruction of public property and the disruption of office operations at the Education-School Department. The volunteers had stormed the offices of the State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha at Babupara, and the Directorate of Education (S), Lamphelpat, demanding the cancellation of the recruitment process. Three DESAM volunteers were detained during the agitation.

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