Centre reverses order and allows online teacher hiring

The Centre on Wednesday reversed a week-old order and allowed central universities to resume recruiting teachers, a process being conducted through online interviews amid the pandemic.

Teachers expressed dismay, accusing varsity authorities of opacity and rule violations in online recruitments and arguing that such recruitment disadvantaged candidates with poor access to quality devices and high-speed Internet.

On August 25, the Centre had asked central universities to freeze the recruitment of teachers and other employees until “complete lifting” of the lockdown, gladdening, among others, JNU teachers who had repeatedly complained about irregularities in faculty appointments.

But after the vice-chancellors protested, the Union education ministry issued a fresh letter on Wednesday asking central universities to resume online recruitments.