Violent protest hits Patna over teaching jobs for 'outsiders'

PATNA: Thousands of teacher aspirants, including a sizeable number of women, staged a massive protest in Patna on Saturday against the Bihar government's decision to do away with the domicile policy in the recruitment of teachers in state schools. The protestors clashed with police and pelted stones on the cops. A few protestors were injured when police resorted to lathicharge and took many of them into custody.
The protesters, including candidates who had cleared the Central Teachers' Eligibility Test, contract teachers of primary and secondary schools, and unemployed youths, blocked several key crossings in the heart of the city to press for withdrawal of the new recruitment rules.The agitating youths tried to cross the barricades put up by police at several places. Patna SSP Rajiv Mishra said around 20 persons were detained and two separate FIRs had been registered for obstruction in government work, causing traffic jams, damaging public property and pelting stones at police.
The police are scanning video footage and photographs captured on CCTV cameras to take strict action against the culprits, he added.
Ever since the Nitish Kumar government on Tuesday opened the recruitment of teachers for aspirants from all over the country on the ground that state did not have sufficient number of qualified candidates, especially in science and mathematics, against the vacant posts, eligible candidates across the state have been up in arms, demanding immediate restoration of the domicile policy.
Abhishek Anand, a protester, said 72 hours of ultimatum was given to the government, but no response came after Saturday's demonstration was organised. The CM would be forced to bring back the domicile policy, he added.
All the teachers' organisations in the state have also decided to take out a joint procession and stage a massive demonstration in front of the assembly on July 13 in protest against the government decision.