DESAM seals offices, Department files FIR
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, June 13 2024:
Condemning the alleged violation of rules and regulations in the recruitment of pre-primary teachers, volunteers of Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) on Thursday locked offices of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Education (S) director at Babupara, and Directorate of Education (S) at Lamphel.
In response, Lamphel police station personnel arrested three volunteers of the student body identified as DESAM head office secretary (finance) Oinam Surjakanta, Anti-Drug Abuse Campaign secretary Khagembam Pilot and Imphal East District Council assistant general secretary Sorokhaibam Rokio.
Around 11am Thursday, a large number of DESAM volunteers stormed the SSA office and Education (S) director's office and drove out the staff before locking the office.
Later, the volunteers sealed the office of Directorate of Education (S).
Shortly after, a team of Lamphel police station arrived at the scene and tried to take control of the situation, resulting in a brief stand off and subsequent arrest of the three volunteers.
Regarding the protest, president Mayengbam Somorjit stated that DESAM has always been vocal against any compromises to quality of education in the state.
The student body firmly believes that teachers play an important role in bringing about quality education, he added.
Amid this, the director of Education Department has been carrying out the recruitment process of pre-primary teachers in violation of the guidelines of National Educational Policy (NEP) which mandate that pre-primary teachers should have received the requisite training.
However, the recruitment process is allowing candidates who have not received the requisite training and just passed Class XII, to apply for the job.
Despite the requests of DESAM, the form submission deadline for pre-primary teachers was extended till June 15, as notified on May 27 .
This indicated that the student body's reminders were not taken seriously, he remarked.
As such, Somorjit urged for halting the recruitment process immediately, failing which DESAM will launch intense agitations from June 16 .
Any consequences resulting from the same will be the responsibility of the Education minister and the director, he cautioned.
On the other-hand, Education (School) Department has condemned the violent actions of a group of individuals claiming to be student activists, who vandalised offices of state project director of Samagra Shiksha in Babupara, and the directorate of education (School) in Lamphelpat on Thursday.
The incident resulted in disruption, as the students closed the offices, drove out staff, and obstructed functioning of these important educational departments.
In a statement, joint director of education (S) said that government has taken the matter seriously, as the involvement of students - considered the future of the state - in such violent activities is particularly concerning.
The statement stressed that resorting to violence for any request or demand is deplorable and can severely affect the future of the students involved.
Legal action has been initiated with the filing of two FIRs (331(06)2024 IPS under sections 186, 380, 427, 506, and 34 of the IPC, and no 394(6)2024 LPS under sections 451, 380, 186, 506,120B of the IPC, and section 3 of the PDPP Act) pertaining to mischief causing damage to public property; criminal conspiracy to commit an offence; trespassing; acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention; criminal intimidation; theft; and voluntarily obstructing public servant in the discharge of public functions.
The underlying issue appears to be related to the ongoing recruitment of Pre-Primary teachers under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme.
The government had previously issued a press note on March 24, 2024, detailing the recruitment process and the need to fill 1140 teacher positions to avoid losing central funding, which is allocated on a 90:10 Centre: State basis.
The government had also addressed concerns of student organisations regarding the qualifications required for these positions, explaining that the qualifications were relaxed due to the unavailability of training centres offering requisite courses in the state.
The recruitment would prioritise candidates meeting the standard qualifications, with those having relaxed qualifications considered only if vacancies remained, the statement explained.
The department urged all concerned parties to refrain from violence and seek resolution through reasonable, democratic, and peaceful means.
They reaffirm their commitment to cooperation and the betterment of the educational system, inviting open communication with any person or organisation to resolve issues amicably.
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