UT calls it ‘human error’,dismisses 10 teachers

The action comes 10 days after Newsline exposed the flawed recruitment process,in which the rules followed to select candidates differed from the rules advertised.

On Saturday,the Administration terminated services of 10 junior basic training (JBT) teachers. More dismissals are likely to follow.

Teachers appointed to schools in Khuda Lahora,Manimajra complex and Manimajra town,among other areas,have been dismissed.

Administration officials personally handed over letters of termination of services to these teachers. They joined service in November,December and January and have drawn salaries for the period.

The Administration’s action has sent shocks to many who have been issued appointment letters.

Administration admits errors,shifts blame

Now,the Administration has “realised” that the recruitment process was “full of errors” but it was “nothing but human error”.

For example,general category candidates were selected under the OBC category — this was the reason given for dismissal of the 10 candidates.

But the Administration has shifted the blame of ‘erroneous compilation of results’ on the Department of Electronics Accreditation for Computer Courses (DOEACC).

“After the matter was highlighted by the media,we decided to take a re-look at the compiled results and found the errors,which are on part of the DOEACC. We have written about this to the DOEACC authorities. It is nothing but human error,” Director Public Instructions (Schools) Sunil Bhatia said.

The work of tabulating the result was outsourced to the DOEACC,a computer institute set up by the Ministry of Communications and Information and Technology.

It is learnt that the Administration is in process of revising the entire merit list,mainly marks tabulated by the DOEACC. It may release a fresh merit list in the coming days.

“Against the posts which will fall vacant after dismissing those selected erroneously,we shall issue appointment letters to deserving candidates in the coming few days,” Bhatia said.

But about the erroneous selection process,all that DPI (S) Bhatia has to say is that the DOEACC is responsible for errors in data compilation and the matter has been taken up with appropriate authorities.

Applicants scrutinised forms of fellow applicants

During the recruitment process,application forms,certificates and other documents of the applicants were scrutinsed by government school teachers — both permanent and contractual.

Interestingly,many contractual teachers — with their friends — had applied for the post of regular teachers. The Administration on Saturday said several general category candidates were selected under OBC category.

The DOEACC never scrutinised the application forms,certificates and other documents of the applicants.

It only awarded marks to the certificates and calculated the total,on the basis of which the final merit list was prepared.

City school teachers,meanwhile,conduct the scrutiny of hundreds of applications.

These teachers were taken to the DOEACC centre in Sector 17 and other make-shift centres in city schools,where they scrutinised the applications during school hours. The forms have been found full of errors.

Newsline traced a few of these teachers.

“We were instructed to perform special duties. We used to mark our attendance in the school,take a couple of periods and proceed to the DOEACC centre,” a teacher,who scrutinised the forms,told Newsline. “We were asked to scrutinise hundreds of forms,check the education certificates attached by the candidate,check the reservation certificates,sports certificates,NSS/NCC certificates,etc. and then hand it over to the DOEACC staff.”

On condition of anonymity,another teacher said,“We were initially instructed to start the scrutiny work at 11 am and carry on till 5 pm but it was not followed. Rather,we marked our attendance in the school and straightway proceeded to the DOEACC centre.”

A DOEACC senior official,said,“We did what we were asked to do by the Chandigarh Administration. They gave us instructions and we followed.”

Recruitment timeline
August 2007:Administration advertises the posts with prescribed criteria. After a legal hitch delayed the recruitment process,the written tests commenced in July-August 2009.

August 2009:Interview process begins.

September 2009:Administration changes the selection criteria in a clandestine manner,after the written tests.

September 2009:Teachers’ recruitment scam surfaces. DPI (S) Samwartak Singh’s questionable role under scanner. A criminal case registered and two middle men,Hardev Singh and Jolly,arrested.

October 2009:Home-cum-Education Secretary Ram Niwas orders Samwartak’s repatriation but Administrator General S F Rodrigues (Retd.) decides to retain him in Chandigarh.

October 2009:Samwartak Singh appointed as Director (Social Welfare).

December-January 2009:Administration releases results on Education department’s website.

February 10-12:Newsline exposes the selection process and points out loopholes.

February 13:Complaint to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) demands its intervention and detailed probe into the recruitments.

February 20:Administration terminates services of 10 teachers.