Hyderabad: The controversy surrounding Telangana’s massive teacher recruitment drive has intensified as blind employees in the state demand the re-evaluation of certificates submitted by visually impaired candidates, citing concerns over potential document forgery.
In a statement, visually impaired govt employees said, “We are receiving reports from several districts that candidates, who were previously rejected from the visually handicapped (VH) quota due to fake certificates, have now secured jobs. The govt should identify these candidates and take strict action against them.”
The recruitment process, aimed at filling over 10,000 govt school teaching positions, has come under scrutiny after more than 150 VH candidates allegedly received direct appointment letters from the chief minister at LB Stadium on October 9, bypassing the mandatory medical examination protocol at Sarojini Eye Hospital.
Benki Raghavender Reddy, State General Secretary of the Telangana Blind Employees Association, criticized the process: “This is a clear violation of established procedures that have been in place for decades. Every VH candidate must undergo a thorough medical examination to verify their disability percentage. Direct appointments without proper screening raise serious doubts about the authenticity of their certificates.”
The association’s concerns are rooted in the requirement that candidates must have a minimum of 40% visual impairment to qualify under the VH category. “One blind person securing a job is equivalent to a hundred sighted people getting one. Any misappropriation in such appointments can drastically impact lives,” Reddy said.
Speaking of the previous recruitment procedure, he added, “Earlier, candidates from districts were brought to Hyderabad for an eye checkup, after which their medical reports were sealed and sent to district education officers (DEOs), who gave the final clearance for their appointment.”
This controversy follows similar allegations regarding sports quota appointments, prompting the education department to initiate a re-evaluation of nearly 400 candidates’ credentials.
In response, a senior official in the school education department assured, “Before final placement and posting for job reporting, another round of verification will be conducted. Any candidate found with fraudulent documents or unable to prove their visual impairment will have their appointment withheld.”
In a statement, visually impaired govt employees said, “We are receiving reports from several districts that candidates, who were previously rejected from the visually handicapped (VH) quota due to fake certificates, have now secured jobs. The govt should identify these candidates and take strict action against them.”
The recruitment process, aimed at filling over 10,000 govt school teaching positions, has come under scrutiny after more than 150 VH candidates allegedly received direct appointment letters from the chief minister at LB Stadium on October 9, bypassing the mandatory medical examination protocol at Sarojini Eye Hospital.
Benki Raghavender Reddy, State General Secretary of the Telangana Blind Employees Association, criticized the process: “This is a clear violation of established procedures that have been in place for decades. Every VH candidate must undergo a thorough medical examination to verify their disability percentage. Direct appointments without proper screening raise serious doubts about the authenticity of their certificates.”
The association’s concerns are rooted in the requirement that candidates must have a minimum of 40% visual impairment to qualify under the VH category. “One blind person securing a job is equivalent to a hundred sighted people getting one. Any misappropriation in such appointments can drastically impact lives,” Reddy said.
Speaking of the previous recruitment procedure, he added, “Earlier, candidates from districts were brought to Hyderabad for an eye checkup, after which their medical reports were sealed and sent to district education officers (DEOs), who gave the final clearance for their appointment.”
This controversy follows similar allegations regarding sports quota appointments, prompting the education department to initiate a re-evaluation of nearly 400 candidates’ credentials.
In response, a senior official in the school education department assured, “Before final placement and posting for job reporting, another round of verification will be conducted. Any candidate found with fraudulent documents or unable to prove their visual impairment will have their appointment withheld.”
