Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A recent directive by Department of Public Instruction (DPI) granting 50% reservation to guest teachers for direct recruitment as school teachers has kicked up a row on social media across the state.
Youth organisations including National Educated Youth Union (NEYU), have voiced strong opposition to the policy, calling it discriminatory against fresh candidates preparing for teaching exams. Surendra Yadav, a core committee member of NEYU, criticised the decision, stating, “This reservation is a blatant injustice to newcomers who have been preparing rigorously for these exams. The move is likely to force many aspirants to shift towards guest teaching, creating an imbalance in the system.”
State secretary of guest teachers’ association Ravikant Gupta told Free Press that reservation was a good decision. We had thanked DPI commissioner Shilpa Gupta for this reservation on Wednesday. He said some groups of people did not like this reservation because they think that recruitments should be done on the basis of candidate’s merit.
NEYU has also launched a new social media campaign under the hashtag “#BlackDayForMPEducation” to rally support against the policy. The campaign, initiated on January 1, has gained significant traction among educators and students alike. The DPI’s decision, aimed at recognising the contribution of guest teachers, has now become a contentious issue, with many calling for its immediate review. The coming days are expected to witness intensified protests and discussions on this critical policy decision.
