Leader Writer: Hrishikesh Angom
The new recruitment norm of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan as introduced by the state education department is a welcome step towards building confidence amongst the educated unemployed youths. Thousands of undergraduates and graduates have recently been recruited based on their academic performance and an eligibility test, but without viva-voce or interview. Many candidates and the general people have raised doubts regarding transparency in the recent recruitment process.
Although the recruitment process of RMSA and SSA is not that proficient, the results could be written in golden letters in the history of Manipur. It has been a notion that government jobs in the state are purchasable at a certain specific rate, say ten lakh rupees for some grade-I post or five lakh for grade-II. Majority of our youths remain dejected while only some fortunate could procure jobs by paying the requisite amount. This has been in vogue for quite a long time. However, the new recruitment norm could be regarded as a “revolutionary” step taken up by the state government towards establishing confidence among the educated unemployed youths. Many proficient youths have been selected as graduate teachers without spending even a single paise. People have much faith in them that they will work with dedication to bring a radical change in the education scenario of the state unlike the previous years. Among those successful candidates, many possess master’s degree with consistent good academic records besides the prerequisite qualification of B.Ed. Notably some candidates are also PhD degree holders who are well-qualified to teach at the university level. This new recruitment policy has indeed rejuvenated hope and aspiration among the youths. Many might have languished if they were not given such opportunity this time.
The dark side of this new recruitment policy is that malpractices are still going on in some examination centres in far-flung areas. Mass copying, impersonation etc. are very much prevalent in these centres. Quite often, students from urban areas migrate to these centres and turned up with flying colours in examinations. In the midst of such practices, those successful candidates cannot be judged exactly as “qualified teachers”. There may possibly be many candidates who have scored high marks using all sorts of unfair means. Nevertheless, such recruitment policy is a step towards curtailing “corruption” in the most controversial department of education (schools).
It will be more appropriate if the authorities concerned formulate more proficient recruitment policy free from corruption and nepotism. The youths are the backbone of the society and hence healthy competition must be encouraged among them. Corruption has really disturbed the minds of our youths. Our society may perish soon if the youths are made to go in the wrong direction. The government cannot alone fulfill all needful things for the youths, but then things like corruption free job recruitment will at least give a ray of hope to them. Only RMSA or SSA will not work. There should be transparency in every competitive and job recruitment examination. RMSA and SSA recruitment should be an exemplary approach. The youths have much greater expectation than this.
The government should better keep up the aspiration of the youths by ensuring corruption free competitive examinations. The RMSA and SSA results are just a trailer. The full picture is yet to be presented by the government. This trailer has lit up the faces of many youths who have nearly lost faith in the present system. The government should think seriously on this matter. Corruption can be rooted out if the government employees are recruited in a more transparent manner. The newly recruited teachers will think twice before moving away from their responsibilities. The buyer-seller type of relationship between the government and the employees will eventually come to an end if the recruitment is made purely on merit basis. The youths will surely welcome the change with great expectations from the new government.