Bihar: Patna erupts as teacher candidates demanded STET before TRE 4; police initiates lathi charge

Patna, Aug 18 Hundreds of aspirants took to the streets in the capital demanding that the State Teacher Eligibility Test (STET) be conducted before the TRE 4 recruitment examination.

This marks the second major protest in 15 days over the issue.

Candidates from different districts gathered at Patna College, insisting that the government must first conduct STET to ensure transparency and give unemployed teacher aspirants a fair chance.

“Without STET, TRE 4 will be an injustice to thousands of us,” shouted protesters.

The rally marched towards the Dak Bungalow intersection, where police had already set up barricades.

As candidates tried to push through, a tense face-off ensued. The situation escalated quickly, with police resorting to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.

Several protesters were detained, even as others continued marching beyond the barricades. Amid the chaos, candidates expressed despair, saying, “We have no option left. Where should we go if the government does not listen to us?”

The confrontation has created a highly charged atmosphere in Patna, with the administration scrambling to maintain order.

Despite repeated protests, the education department has so far failed to provide a clear response, further fueling dissatisfaction.

Aspirants allege that delaying STET not only undermines transparency in recruitment but also deprives thousands of unemployed youth of fair opportunities.

“We are not going to back down. If our demands are ignored, we will intensify our movement and launch a bigger agitation,” warned the protesters.

For the state government, the issue has become a major challenge. Conducting STET swiftly and ensuring a transparent recruitment process has emerged as the only way to ease tensions, address the shortage of teachers in schools, and provide long-awaited employment to deserving candidates.

Earlier, on August 7, a massive protest broke out in the streets of Patna as hundreds of students demanded the immediate conduct of the STET exam in Bihar.

--IANS

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