Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 18 July 2023
The Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI (M), has called for an upper age relaxation of 8 years for candidates applying for the positions of Graduate Trained Teacher (GTT) and Primary School Teacher (PST) in the Education Department, similar to the relaxation provided in 2013 and 2016. In a letter addressed to the Lt. Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, D. Ayyappan, Secretary of the CPI (M) A & N State Organising Committee, acknowledged the decision of the Administration to advertise vacant posts in the Education Department but highlighted concerns regarding the upper age limit for these positions, currently set at 30 years with a 2-year age relaxation for all categories.
Ayyappan emphasized that the recruitment for GTT and PST positions is taking place after a gap of nearly seven years, with the previous recruitment notice published in 2016. Due to administrative reasons, the recruitment process for these posts was delayed, resulting in a significant number of qualified local youths becoming over-aged without any opportunity to participate in recruitment examinations. The CPI (M) expressed that these individuals should not be penalized for circumstances beyond their control, as they are unable to apply for these positions. Ayyappan noted that if these candidates are not given the chance to compete for the advertised GTT and PST posts, they may never have the opportunity to secure a government job in their place of birth and upbringing.
Ayyappan further drew attention to the previous recruitments conducted in 2016 and 2013, where the Lt. Governor had graciously granted one-time upper age relaxation of 8 years for both male and female candidates. The 2013 recruitment also provided relaxation of the upper age limit to the tune of 3 years for male candidates and 8 years for female candidates, enabling over-aged individuals to apply for these positions.
The CPI (M) Secretary expressed concerns that the current blanket upper age relaxation of 2 years for all categories of posts would not be beneficial for highly qualified candidates who possess post-graduation, B.Ed, D.Ed, and similar qualifications. Many such candidates may have already exceeded the age limit of 32 years, leaving them with no further chances to compete in any recruitment processes.
The CPI (M) has urged the Lt. Governor to consider the plight of these highly qualified, over-aged candidates and grant the requested upper age relaxation of 8 years, as was done in previous recruitments. This would provide a fair opportunity for deserving candidates to compete for the GTT and PST positions and alleviate their concerns about missing out on government job opportunities in their own community.
The Lt. Governor’s response to the CPI (M)’s request remains to be seen, as the party continues to advocate for a more inclusive recruitment process that considers the circumstances of qualified individuals affected by delays and age limitations.