KSA smells rat over promotion of MES officers
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 23 2022: Claiming that some programme officers and assistant programme officers were promoted to Manipur Education Service (MES) Grade-III in violation off MES Rules 2012, thus, showing clear evidence of nepotism and favouritism, Kangleipak Students' Association (KSA) has demanded the authority to scrap the promotion.

Addressing a press meet at its Khoyathong office premises, here, on Friday, KSA president Sukham Bidyananada said that teachers and educational managers/administra-tors are the key players in improving education sector for which professional qualification is essential criteria for both the posts.

While pointing out that the government formulated MES Rules 2012 to ensure MES officers meet the requisite qualification, he explained that as per the rules, minimum qualification for MES officers is Master's degree and B Ed.

At the same time, teachers willing to join the service should have a minimum regular service of 10 years.

According to the MES Rules 2012, 50 per cent of MES Grade-III posts should be filled in through direct recruitment and the remaining through limited departmental examination.

Those appearing in latter examination should have completed PG and B Ed for primary & graduate teachers, and 10 years of regular service for assistant head masters of high schools and headmasters of junior high schools.

However, some programme officers and assistant programme officers, who joined service in 2010 on contract basis and regularised in 2016 were promoted to MES Grade-III on December 19 in violation of the same MES Rules 2012.These recently promoted officers neither have 10 years of regular service nor B Ed certificates, Bidyananada said, while terming it as a clear example of nepotism and favouritism.

On the other hand, previous government took a cabinet decision for absorbing the programme officers and assistant programme officers into MES.

However, the decision was challenged in the court stating that officers from non-teaching posts cannot hold MES posts, and a case is still pending in the High Court of Manipur, he pointed out, while adding that KSA cannot accept such violation of service rules.

The KSA president demanded the education minister to clarify if he was aware of the violation of rules and to resign if the promotion was processed with his knowledge and approval.

He also said that KSA will launch intense agitation if the promotion is not scrapped at the earliest.

Comment