Vigilance probe tightens grip on teacher appointments
The education authorities are continuously tightening the noose around fraudulent appointments to ensure transparency in the schooling system. In a significant administrative move, the education department has demanded verified certificates of all teachers appointed on the basis of TET (Teacher Eligibility Test) and STET up to the year 2015. This directive comes amid an ongoing investigation by the Vigilance Investigation Bureau into fake teacher recruitment cases, aiming to completely eradicate malpractice.
According to reports, the police inspector-cum-assistant investigator of the Vigilance Investigation Bureau wrote a letter to the District Programme Officer (Establishment) seeking detailed records of these teachers. Consequently, the DPO has issued strict instructions to all planning units in the districts. The directive mandates submitting a list of teachers along with block-wise verified certificates to eliminate any possibility of discrepancies.
Past irregularities and missing documents prompt fresh search
This is not the first time fake credentials have troubled the administration. Over the past decade, numerous complaints surfaced regarding individuals securing teaching jobs through fabricated documents. In Muzaffarpur district alone, over 400 teachers were identified with fake certificates, and FIRs were registered against several of them. However, investigations had not reached their logical conclusion due to various hurdles.
With court orders in place, authorities are now tracing back the original recruitment files. Officials have sought verified copies of both academic and training certificates used during the initial appointments to ensure robust evidence is presented before legal forums.
Administrative challenges due to transfers and promotions
A major practical challenge has emerged alongside the investigation. Due to promotions and recent selections through the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC), more than 50 percent of those TET and STET teachers are no longer stationed at their original schools or districts. Many have become headmasters or relocated to different parts of the state, leaving local education offices grappling with how to retrieve their records.
Mandatory bridge course for B.Ed qualified primary teachers
Meanwhile, another crucial development involves B.Ed-qualified teachers appointed in primary schools. A total of 7,569 such teachers in Bihar are now required to complete a six-month bridge course. Out of 8,290 applicants, 7,845 have successfully submitted their applications along with the requisite fees. Over 200 teachers with pending document verifications currently remain ineligible for the course.
Conducted via NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling), the bridge course aims to equip primary teachers with specialized pedagogical skills. The department has mandated that teachers must complete this program within one year of its official commencement date, and crucially, pass it in a single attempt, failing which their appointments will be rendered invalid.
