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AIZAWL, JULY 8: Hundreds of Mizoram students flooded the roads on Monday, organizing a protest march seeking the immediate removal of part-time teachers with partial or no qualifications who have served for 8 to 17 years without meeting the required eligibility norms.
The protesters, spearheaded by the Mizo Students’ Union (MSU), expressed strong resentment against the continued employment of these teachers, citing the negative effect on the academic life of students.
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As per government officials, the authorities have already taken the first step by sending show-cause notices to the suspected unqualified teachers. They have been asked to respond within 15 days. The protestors maintain that once this period is over, the government will have to act quickly to cancel the contracts of those who do not have the required qualifications.
The protest rally, which was organized by MSU, started from Vanapa Hall and marched to the Directorate of Higher and Technical Education at Zarkawt, a distance of around two kilometers. The police confirmed that the demonstration was peaceful and orderly. The agitation was suspended after government officials promised the students that unqualified assistant professors would be terminated within five days after the 15-day notice period expired.
At the site of the protest, MSU president B. Lalkhawngaihzuala strongly opposed any move to extend the tenure of ineligible teachers into the new academic year. He blamed previous administrations for risking students’ careers by persisting to hire underqualified personnel, and called on the present government to stand firmly against such endeavors.
Prior to their dispersal, the agitators passed a few resolutions, which reflected confidence in the government’s assurance and sought that it honor its commitment of swift action. The resolutions stipulated that only competent candidates should be hired henceforth, and that those who did not possess the necessary credentials presently—like clearing National Eligibility Test (NET), Mizoram Teacher Eligibility Test (MTET), or having a Ph.D.—should be replaced.
State Higher and Technical Education Minister Dr. Vanlalthlana made it clear that the unqualified teachers in question were appointed between 2008 and 2017 during the then-Mizo National Front (MNF) and Congress governments. He claimed that the present government, headed by Chief Minister Lalduhoma and the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), has not appointed any unqualified teaching personnel.
Dr. Vanlalthlana further said that the show-cause notices have been issued to teachers teaching at general colleges, a law college in Aizawl, and Mizoram Polytechnic in Lunglei. He further stated that more than 100 muster roll teachers who failed to clear the MTET have been given one last opportunity to clear the test this year under provisions granted by the earlier government up to 2024.
