Assam CM presents appointment letters to 8,206 new recruits

Guwahati, Nov 13 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday presented appointment letters to 8,206 candidates under the Directorate of Higher Education, Directorate of Secondary Education, and the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) at a programme.

The total number of candidates who have received government jobs during the tenure of the present government has increased to 1,34,999, he said.

The chief minister said that young men and women who received appointments today have achieved their goal after years of perseverance.

''Getting a job without paying even a single rupee is a true achievement and this transparent system has opened the door to many competent youth of the state'', he said.

Assam has talents in various fields, and if these talents are identified and nurtured through education, they can contribute greatly to society, he said.

The task of advancing the public education system in the right direction is a major challenge, and before 2011, teacher recruitment in Assam was marred by political interference, Sarma claimed.

In the recruitment of college teachers, nepotism prevailed, and appointments were made for political considerations and at times, two or three teachers were appointed against a single sanctioned post, he said.

''Introducing Teacher Eligibility Tests (TET) in primary, secondary, and higher secondary levels in 2011 brought a reform in the recruitment system, but it faced political challenges during this reform process, but ultimately succeeded in ensuring merit-based recruitment in schools and colleges'', he said.

If recruitment is not done on merit, the public education system will collapse, and Assam can never become one of the leading states of the country'', he added.

Recalling his government's pre-election promise of providing one lakh merit-based government jobs, Sarma said that the number has now surpassed one lakh, reaching 1,34,999, and that not a single allegation of corruption has been raised regarding these appointments.

The CM said that while roads can be built overnight with money, it takes time for a teacher to build a student.

"If we fail to provide the next generation with a sound public education system, Assam can never become a developed state," he said.

"If children from poor and lower-middle-class families are unable to pursue studies due to lack of money, inequality will grow. The rich will study in private institutions, while the poor will become frustrated and unproductive human resources," he said.

In the next five years, there will be a huge demand for educated and skilled youths in the state and the government also plans to send qualified and skilled Assamese youth abroad so that the state can benefit from foreign exchange inflows, the CM said.

Mathematics teachers have been appointed for the first time in secondary schools, and Sarma appealed to the newly appointed teachers to create an environment where students enjoy learning mathematics.

The CM said that many new medical and engineering colleges, AIIMS, and an IIM have been established or are coming up in Assam, and students must have strong mathematical skills to secure seats in these institutions.

The newly appointed recruits include 263 as Assistant Professors and 110 candidates as Grade III staff under the Directorate of Higher Education; 1,275 candidates as Postgraduate Teachers (PGTs) and 6,522 candidates as Graduate Teachers (GTs) under the Directorate of Secondary Education; and 28 candidates as Lecturers in District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) along with eight candidates as Assistant Directors under SCERT. PTI DG DG RG