Mangaluru: Several assistant teachers in primary schools across Dakshina Kannada district have raised serious allegations regarding irregularities in the promotion process to the post of headmaster conducted on April 29. They claim that reservation norms for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) were blatantly violated during the exercise.
Allegations of Roster Violations
The aggrieved teachers contend that promotions were granted without proper implementation of the 100-point post-based reservation roster. They allege that roster points reserved for SC and ST candidates were overlooked, and several posts were instead allotted to general category candidates. This, they argue, undermines constitutional safeguards and established legal precedents.
Representation and Silent Protest
The teachers submitted a formal representation to the Deputy Director (Administration) of the Department of School Education and staged a silent protest in front of the zilla panchayat on Tuesday. The representation highlights that the process violated Articles 14, 16(4), and 16(4A) of the Constitution, which deal with equality and reservation in public employment. They also cited landmark Supreme Court judgments, including Indra Sawhney (1992), M. Nagaraj (2006), and Jarnail Singh (2018), to argue that compliance with reservation policy and roster implementation is legally mandatory.
Backlog and Merit-Based Counselling Concerns
Teachers who missed out on postings alleged that vacancies meant for SC and ST candidates remain unfilled, resulting in an unlawful backlog. They further claimed that despite government directives to strictly follow reservation rules, the counselling process filled posts based on merit first and considered SC/ST candidates only later, effectively sidelining them.
Demands and Warning
The aggrieved teachers have demanded an immediate review of the promotion process, cancellation of promotions allegedly granted in violation of the roster, and issuance of fresh promotions in accordance with reservation norms. They warned that if corrective action is not taken, they may approach the court to seek justice.
Official Response
Zilla Panchayat CEO Narwade Vinayak Karbhari stated that teachers dissatisfied with the recent promotion process submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Director of Public Instruction, Dakshina Kannada, and that it would be forwarded to higher authorities for necessary action.
