More than 3,000 candidates in Tripura who qualified in the STGT examination have sought expansion of the recruitment process, arguing that filling additional teaching posts could address the issue of vacant posts in schools while providing opportunities to candidates facing age-related eligibility concerns.
Key Takeaways:
- STGT candidates demand recruitment against 2,176 vacant teaching posts.
- Candidates seek an increase in the 700 posts notified for the 2026 recruitment process.
- They warn of a larger movement if the Education Department does not provide a satisfactory response.
A group of STGT candidates has appealed to the Education Minister to fill vacant teaching posts in Tripura and increase the number of posts notified for the ongoing recruitment process.
The candidates held a press conference at the Agartala Press Club on October 1 and raised questions over the decision to conduct the 2026 recruitment examination against only 700 posts.
According to the candidates, the recruitment notification came in 2025, while the examination took place in February 2026. They said the notification provided for 700 posts despite the availability of a much larger number of vacancies.
The candidates claimed that an RTI response they obtained had indicated 5,304 vacant posts. They sought clarification from the Education Department on why only 700 posts were included in the recruitment process.
They also referred to a figure of 2,176 vacant posts and sought an explanation about the difference between the vacancy figures.
Demand to Increase Recruitment Posts
The candidates said the 700 notified posts included 364 posts in the unreserved category, 119 for Scheduled Castes and 217 for Scheduled Tribes.
They said more than 3,000 candidates had qualified in the STGT examination. They also claimed that more than 2,000 candidates had completed verification.
The candidates argued that the government should increase the number of recruitment posts and appoint qualified candidates against available vacancies.
One candidate said the 2025 recruitment notification contained a provision allowing the number of posts to increase or decrease according to requirements. The candidates urged the Education Department to use the provision to increase the posts.
They specifically sought recruitment against 2,176 posts, citing a figure they attributed to a statement by the Chief Minister in the state Assembly.
Candidates Raise Teacher Shortage Concern
The candidates said several schools in Tripura were facing a shortage of teachers. They questioned why recruitment had not kept pace with vacancies.
They also raised questions about vacancies that they claimed had existed for several years. According to the candidates, teacher recruitment had not taken place after 2019 in the manner they expected.
They sought clarification on how the vacancies identified earlier had changed by 2026 and what process the Education Department had followed to reduce the reported number of vacant posts.
The candidates said filling additional posts would address two concerns at the same time. It would help reduce teacher shortages in schools and provide employment opportunities to qualified candidates.
Appeal to Education Minister
The candidates said they had approached the Education Department several times through deputations seeking an increase in the number of posts. However, they claimed that they had not received a satisfactory response so far.
They also highlighted the age factor affecting candidates who have already qualified in the examination. They said some candidates may become ineligible to appear in future recruitment examinations because of age limits.
The candidates therefore urged the Education Minister and the Education Department to clarify whether the number of posts would be increased and whether the vacant positions would be filled from among the qualified STGT candidates.
They said the availability of vacant posts should allow the government to consider increasing the recruitment figure.
The candidates warned that they would launch a larger movement if they did not receive a satisfactory response from the Education Department.
They said they had studied and qualified for the examination with hopes of securing teaching jobs. They urged the government to consider their demand and provide clarity on the recruitment process at the earliest.
