Rajasthan cancels REET level-II exam for recruitment of govt school teachers

The level-1 exam stands clear.

The decision comes at a time when the Congress-led government in the state is under fire from the Opposition over the question paper leak scandal. State BJP chief Satish Poonia on Monday reiterated that the party will stick to its demand for a CBI probe into the case.

The ruling Congress accused the opposition party of trying to politicise the issue.

“We have decided to cancel the REET level-II examination. No question paper has been leaked in level-I (exam). After cancelling the level-II examination, we will hold fresh examinations,” Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot told the media after a meeting of the state cabinet in Jaipur on Monday.

“We will bring back the previous system of the Government of India, of (holding) two exams — an eligibility test and then a final test,” he said.

Stating that the government will bring a strong law in Assembly against irregularities in examinations, Gehlot said cancelling the examination was an “unfortunate event”, but the decision was taken after taking into consideration the future of the aspirants. He slammed the BJP for politicising the issue.

REET is the eligibility test for direct recruitment of primary and upper primary government school teachers in Rajasthan.

On Monday, Gehlot also announced 30,000 more posts, which will increase the combined total number of posts under REET level-I and level-II from 32,000 to 62,000. He said that out of 62,000 posts, recruitment in around 15,500 posts will take place soon, as these will be candidates who took level-I exam, which has not been cancelled.

“We will form fresh rules for the new examination system of two exams,” Gehlot said. “The report of Justice Vyas committee to prevent irregularities in the examination will be submitted by March 15 and we will make it a base to go further.”

He accused BJP of playing politics over the issue and risking the future of lakhs of candidates. He cited cases of question paper leaks in exams conducted by other states, as well as the Union government, and called it a nationwide phenomenon.

“Three years of our (Congress) rule have been excellent, which has led to so much frustration in BJP,” Gehlot said. “After three years, I am very happy that the government is getting the blessings and support of the public. It is said that the anti-incumbency wave starts after two or two-and-a-half years, but even after three years, everyone has realised people are happy with the government. That is why BJP is frustrated, making issues out of non-issues.”

He said nearly 25 lakh youth took part in the REET exams in 2021, and that the government provided various facilities to the candidates, including services such as free transportation and food.

“When the issue of paper leak surfaced, the case was immediately given to the SOG,” he pointed out.

The Chief Minister said the state has provided 1 lakh jobs to youths, and the recruitment process for 90,000 vacant posts is going on. If BJP leaders had information beforehand about the paper leak, why didn’t they inform the government to let the crime be prevented, he asked.

Taking the attack to BJP, Gehlot said: “If a common man has information about a crime and doesn’t share the information, then he, too, becomes a stakeholder in that crime — this is what the law says. So those speaking about Shiksha Sankul, how things happened, saying the entire picture…you should tell us you are in league with each gang. If you had public interest in mind, you would have told the Education Minister, the Chief Secretary, the DGP.”

So far, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of state police has arrested at least 35 people in the case.

The BJP has alleged involvement of politicians, including Rajasthan minister Subhash Garg, in the case. Garg and the Congress party have vehemently denied all allegations.

On allegations levelled against Garg by BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena, Gehlot said none of Meena’s arguments have any substance, and added that the MP is doing all this to appease BJP leaders in Delhi.

“BJP leaders in Rajasthan are playing with the future of 20 lakh unemployed in Rajasthan because of their own battle for superiority. Both Kirodi Meena-ji and (BJP state chief) Satish Poonia-ji are hurting the welfare of the youth of Rajasthan,” state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra said.

Poonia today tweeted, “This step of the Chief Minister…cornered from all sides is an unsuccessful attempt of saving big people involved in the irregularities. Why the irregularities happened, when will the big criminals be unmasked, when will be attempts to punish them?”

Dotasra alleged that three groups in BJP —led, respectively, by former CM Vasundhara Raje, state BJP president Satish Poonia, and Kirodi Lal Meena — are playing with the future of 20 lakh unemployed people in Rajasthan.