Mokokchung, July 31 (MTNews): The Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) in a press note has urged the Department of School Education (DoSE) to exercise the Relaxation Policy that was notified on January 9, 2009 until B.Ed. institutions are established in Eastern areas; otherwise, it said, “the federation will be constrained to take its own course of action in the larger interest of the people.”
ENSF said that they have written to the Nagaland chief secretary to implement the Relaxation Policy, vide notification No. EDS/1-7/2008, Dated, Kohima 9th January 2009, and had also served a representation to the Department of School Education in connection with the most recent government advertisement, Ref No ED/EST-1/GT- ADVT/2022/889, dated Kohima the 16th March 2022, for GT (Maths, Science, and Hindi) on 7th June 2022.
The federation stated that due to the tepid response to their earlier demands, they have since sent a reminder letter, dated 01/07/22, requesting that the Relaxation Policy be implemented to the most recent recruitment of Graduate Teachers (GT) for the subjects of Math, Science, and Hindi under DoSE. However, the federation said that the department had “blatantly turned down” their demand.
The federation emphasized that the relaxation policy had already come into force on 9th January, 2009 which read that “the shortlisted candidates belonging to the six (6) tribes shall be given 5 years to obtain professional qualification instead of 2 years as mentioned in the relaxation order” vide order no. EDS (A)-5/2002 dated 27th October 2008; and subsequent Letter No. DSE/GEN-REP/2013(VOL-1)/567 Dated, Kohima the 19th June, 2019).
According to the press release, “the Relaxation Policy was implemented considering the lack of Human Resource Development, sound Socio and Economic Condition and inter alias due to non-availability of Professional Institutions in eastern jurisdiction”.
The federation said that the department had “utterly failed to maintain the same in letter and spirit as witnessed in the recently held recruitment” despite the fact that there had been a clear government notification which is still in effect.
The federation added that, after becoming fully aware of the impediment that aspirant students in eastern areas face as a result of the lack of B.Ed. colleges, the federation has been persistently putting forward a series of proposals for allotment of B.Ed. colleges in those areas. The federation added that the government has not yet positively replied despite their continuous requests.
In light of this, the federation has urged that the Relaxation Policy be implemented until its demand for the establishment of B.Ed. institutions in Eastern areas is materialized.