Bhopal Teacher Recruitment 2025: Protests for More Vacancies Enter Day 20

Teacher candidates in Bhopal, including Shailendra Rawat, Mohan Tiwari, and Pradeep Prem Sahu, are continuing their protest for increased vacancies in the 2025 teacher recruitment exams, specifically for Class 2 and Class 3 posts, and demanding a second counselling process. As of September 9, 2026, the agitation has entered its 20th day, with some protesters also undertaking hunger strikes at locations like Neelam Park, the Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI), and the Tribal Welfare Department.

The prolonged protest highlights significant discontent among aspiring teachers regarding the perceived disparity between the large number of vacant positions in government schools and the comparatively low number of advertised vacancies in recent recruitment drives. This situation is further exacerbated by concerns over candidates exceeding the age limit for future opportunities, prompting calls for immediate government intervention.

Teacher Recruitment 2025: Demands for Increased Vacancies

The core demand of the protesting teacher aspirants, who number over 2,000, is a substantial increase in the number of advertised posts for the 2025 recruitment examination. Shailendra Rawat, a prominent voice among the candidates, stated that while the government advertised 13,089 primary teacher positions last year, only 6,800 were filled after the first counselling process. Protesters are now demanding that the number of primary teacher positions be increased from 13,089 to 25,000. Also, they are seeking at least 3,000 additional positions for secondary teachers across all subjects.

Many of the protesting candidates currently serve as guest teachers in government schools, receiving honorariums of Rs 18,000 for higher secondary, Rs 14,000 for secondary, and Rs 10,000 for primary classes. Their current employment status underscores the urgency of securing permanent positions.

Nagendra Singh, who applied for a mathematics teacher position in the 2025 primary teacher recruitment, noted that despite his name being third on a waiting list of six, an increase in positions would have secured him a job. Similarly, Laxman Singh Lodhi, a 31-year-old Sanskrit guest teacher, highlighted the severe scarcity, stating that only seven positions were available for Sanskrit teachers (primary) in the state for the 2025 recruitment, leaving him on the waiting list for two.

Government Stance and Candidate Rebuttals

Government and education department officials have maintained that the number of positions cannot be increased after results are declared. However, protesting candidates, including Ishant Srivastava, vehemently refute this claim. They point out that the government previously increased posts even after results were declared in 2020 and 2022. Srivastava cited Clause 15 of the rulebook, which explicitly states that the number of vacancies can be increased or decreased. He questioned how 7,500 posts were increased through a second counselling in 2023 for the Class 3 recruitment of 2022, and how posts were also increased in earlier Class 2 recruitments, if such actions are now deemed impermissible.

The discrepancy in reported vacancies is another major point of contention. Ishant Srivastava highlighted that according to the Rajpatra, approximately 99,157 secondary teacher posts and 1.31 lakh primary teacher posts are vacant. He further noted that the Education Minister had stated in the state assembly that around 1.15 lakh posts were vacant. However, the department is currently claiming only 18,000 vacant posts.

Political Support and Health Concerns Amidst Protest

The ongoing protest has garnered support from political figures. State Congress president Jitu Patwari and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh have expressed solidarity with the teacher aspirants. Congress leader Praveen Dholpure stated that the demand for increased posts is “completely justified and morally valid” given that 1.15 lakh teacher posts are vacant against 2.89 lakh sanctioned posts. He urged the government to engage in dialogue with the hunger strikers, emphasizing that these women are the state’s “Ladli Behnas” and deserve to be heard. Dholpure affirmed that Congress stands with the protesting teachers and will not tolerate the suppression or exploitation of education.

The prolonged nature of the protest has also led to health concerns among some participants. Kirti Jha, an aspiring government teacher on hunger strike, fell ill and required hospitalization. Narendra Rajput, another protester, has been on a hunger strike for 40 hours, even foregoing water, to press for their demands. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s emphasis on improving the teacher, student ratio further strengthens the protesters’ argument for filling existing vacancies.

Teacher Vacancies and Recruitment: a Snapshot

The table below summarises the claimed teacher vacancies and the current recruitment posts, as highlighted by the protesting candidates:

Written by Aayush Kukreja

Aayush is a writer and content strategist who turns personal stories into brand narratives. With an experience spanning diverse industries, rely on his writing for simplifying complex subjects & get in-depth insights - always with sharp wit.

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