HRD grants Tripura one-time relaxation for teacher recruitment

Now, teachers with a two-year diploma in elementary education can teach primary students and those with a one-year Bachelors in Education (B.Ed) can teach in the elementary segment.

“The relaxation specified in this notification will be one-time and no further relaxation under sub-section 2 of Section 23 of the said Act shall be granted to the state of Tripura,” a gazette notification issued by Joint Secretary Maneesh Garg stated.

The eligibility criteria will be relaxed for two years, two months and 17 days. Each state is allowed a maximum five-year relaxation period under Section 23 of the RTE. Tripura had already utilised a part of its quota back in 2012.

The state’s BJP-IPFT government had approached the Ministry seeking a one-time relaxation for teacher recruitment in May 2018. It had also filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court seeking to extend the tenures of 10,323 ad hoc teachers. The Supreme Court had granted an extension till 2020.

According to the state government, Tripura has a shortage of 12,222 teachers, including 6,276 vacancies in the Under-Graduate Teacher (UGT) category.

Tripura education minister Ratan Lal Nath was not available for comment.