In a significant move on Tuesday, leaders from the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) launched a strong protest at Vidya Bhavan. Their grievance? Alleged serious violations of established norms by authorities during the allocation of teaching positions following the recent DSC examination.
G. Ramanna, the State secretary for the federation, highlighted the widespread confusion plaguing the recruitment process. He pointed out a particularly troubling issue where candidates who qualified under the open category were inexplicably denied posts in that very category. Instead, they were reportedly assigned positions typically reserved for specific quotas. Ramanna emphatically stated that such actions “undermine social justice” and expressed concern that roles designated for reserved categories were being unfairly diverted to quotas for sports, physically challenged individuals, and ex-servicemen.
Ramanna directly challenged the authorities for their failure to disclose district-wise and caste-wise cut-off marks. He also questioned why eligible candidates, who had already received call letters and undergone certificate verification, were subsequently denied their postings. Adding to the controversy, he claimed that students from Navodaya schools were unfairly overlooked for positions.
The federation’s demands included strict action against employees of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) who are reportedly operating private coaching centers. Furthermore, they called for immediate and robust measures to identify and address instances of fake certificates used during the verification process.
Adding another layer to the public outcry, leaders of the Kula Vyatireka Porata Samithi strongly condemned reports indicating an official proposal to reallocate merit-selected SC, ST, and OBC candidates into the reservation category.
In a formal statement, O. Nallappa, the organization’s State president, and A. Malyadri, its general secretary, branded this proposed move as unconstitutional. They reiterated that while reservations are crucial for Backward Classes, they are primarily a protective measure for those who may not succeed solely on merit. They emphasized that reservations are not meant to penalize those who achieve success through their own abilities.
Citing various Supreme Court judgments, the leaders asserted that it is a well-established legal and constitutional principle that SC/ST candidates selected on merit should be counted within the general category. They warned that the officials’ current decision would not only violate the constitutional right to equality but also defy Supreme Court rulings and deny legitimate opportunities to candidates from Scheduled categories.
Both organizations urged the government to promptly reverse this decision, threatening a State-wide protest if their concerns were ignored.