Has the Tamil Nadu TRB's change in rules adversely impacted marginalised aspirants of BEd course?

BEd graduates seem to have been caught off-guard by the Teacher Recruitment Board's decision to increase the UG pass percentage from 40 per cent to 45 per cent. Those BEd graduates who scored below 45 per cent in their undergraduate programme are now ineligible to apply for the Tamil Nadu Teacher Eligibility Test (TNTET) Paper-II. The notification was released on March 7 this year and altered the stand that had been taken by the TRB in 2017. 

Aspirants are now crying foul and claiming that the sudden notification negatively impacts graduates from the SC, ST, OBC and disabled categories. "If a graduate who belongs to the SC, SCA, ST and differently-abled got a pass mark, which is 40 per cent in the UG programme, they can study the BEd course at the college as per the given minimum qualification. It was on this basis that the graduates completed their BEd course. While the state government allows those category graduates to study in the BEd courses, TRB has refused to apply this exam citing UG pass percentage marks. This is injustice. As a result, we are unable to become teachers in government or private schools," said K Devarajan from Erode. "With the TRB hiking the UG pass percentage marks from 40 per cent to 45 per cent to write Paper- II, without informing the students in advance, thousands of graduates who scored below 45 per cent will not be able to apply to write Paper- II. TRB has destroyed thousands of graduates' teaching dreams," he charged. 

A differently-abled person, K Murali in Sivakasi told TNIE, "I have got 41.6 per cent in BA English in UG and I have got 47.80 marks in BEd courses. As my UG pass percentage mark is below 45 per cent and my BEd pass percentage is below 50 per cent, I am unable to apply for this exam. It is disappointing. Not only SC, ST and differently-abled, but all BEd graduates who got below 45 per cent in UG also cannot write this exam. I have created an online petition with the TRB, but there is no response from the officials." When asked about it, TRB Chairman G Latha told TNIE, "This issue is under discussion and the appropriate decision will be taken with the consultation of stakeholders." 

Applications have already been invited online for TET Paper-I and Paper-II for the year 2022 from eligible candidates and the last date for submission of the application is on April 14.