AGARTALA, Feb 26 (TIWN): TPSC once again received major jolt from the HC after the petition was cancelled and the HC has given direction for re-recruitment in the post of Assistant Professors. It is to be mentioned here that the HC has kept the judgement reserved to the recently concluded final hearing on a writ petition filed challenging the Tripura Public Service Commission’s selection process for the post of Assistant Professors. In the previous hearing the Division Bench of the High Court of Tripura comprising of Chief Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice S.C. Das reserved the judgment. The Bench was seemed to express its anguish as to why the TPSC did not follow the guidelines framed by UGC while selecting the candidates. The Court time and again iterated that it wanted the TPSC be transparent in all respects. Tripura Public Service Commission (TPSC) grossly flouted the reservation rules in the recruitment of Assistant Professors in different degree colleges. While appointing the aspirants, the TPSC made 62 out of 125 posts unreserved as ST students were not found eligible in many cases and, 47 of rest 63 ST posts were filled up.

 It is mentionable here that several allegations of irregularities have cropped against TPSC on the issue recruitment and reservation of assistant professor. 

These have caused serious discontent among a section of reserved category. 

Its alleged that TPSC acted as a puppet of ruling CPI(M) in recruitment advertisement of PG teachers and assistant professors violating the reservation policy.

Dr Bijoya Bhattacharjee, an aspirant of geography, filed a writ petition challenging the process when she was denied appointment after the interview despite having PhD and qualifying in national eligibility test and holding good academic record throughout her career.

It is alleged that while distributing the subject wise vacancy, the higher education department clubbed together all the posts and estimated the roster for SC, ST and general category students.

However, after scrutinizing the evaluation sheets, the High Court of Tripura found many irregularities in the selection process and the Tripura Public Service Commission (TPSC) was not at all transparent in selecting the candidates. What seemed to be alarming that the TPSC granted a candidate secured above seventy percent of marks was graded “C” while a candidate securing only 50 percent was graded “B+”. Causing utter surprise to the court, the counsel defending the action of the TPSC went on saying that the Commission also considered the standard of different universities while grading the candidates.

Court has provided many suggestions for fair selection process to be undertaken by the TPSC in future and re-recruitment is ordered into the process.