In a significant setback for over a thousand educators in Gujarat, a technicality of less than a month is set to bar them from a major career advancement opportunity. As many as 1,236 government secondary school teachers are likely to be declared ineligible for the upcoming Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) recruitment drive because their service tenure falls short by a mere 25 days.
The Crucial Deadline and the Experience Gap
According to the official GPSC notification for the Gujarat Education Service Class-II recruitment, candidates must have completed five full years of teaching experience as of the last date for application submission, which is December 13, 2025. This is where the problem arises for the affected cohort.
These teachers received their official appointment orders on January 7, 2021, and assumed their duties the very next day, January 8. By this calculation, they will complete their mandatory five-year service period only on January 8, 2026. This creates a gap of 25 days between the eligibility cut-off date (December 13, 2025) and the date they fulfill the experience criterion.
Recruitment Drive Details and Mounting Protests
The GPSC recently unveiled its recruitment calendar, announcing a total of 110 posts. This includes 128 vacancies for the Class II positions that these teachers aspire to. The online application process is currently active and is scheduled to conclude on the aforementioned date of December 13, 2025.
With the current deadline firmly in place, a large group of dedicated teachers who had been preparing for this competitive examination now find themselves on the sidelines. The situation has sparked immediate action from several teachers' associations across the state.
Representations Submitted for Deadline Extension
Recognizing the narrow margin of the shortfall, representatives from these associations have formally approached the state's Education Minister and the GPSC authorities. They have submitted detailed representations urging the commission to consider a pragmatic solution.
The primary demand is a straightforward one: extend the last date for application submission by at least one month. A simple extension to mid-January 2026 would allow these 1,236 teachers to complete their five-year tenure and become eligible to apply, ensuring a fair and inclusive recruitment process that does not exclude experienced candidates on a minor technicality.
The outcome of these appeals is now eagerly awaited by the teaching community. The decision will determine whether a significant pool of experienced educators gets a fair shot at career progression or is left out due to a calendar discrepancy.
