AP teachers' body calls off fast after Naidu's TET assurance
APUTF withdrew its hunger strike after CM Naidu assured that the government would help all in-service teachers clear the TET exam.
The Andhra Pradesh United Teachers Federation (APUTF) has called off its indefinite hunger strike, which began on Friday, following a personal assurance from Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The federation had launched the protest demanding that in-service teachers be exempted from the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET).
In an official statement, APUTF State president N. Venkateswarlu and general secretary K.S.S. Prasad said the Chief Minister had assured them that the onus was on the government to ensure every teacher appearing for the TET is able to pass the examination.
With the strike formally withdrawn, APJAC Chairman A. Vidyasagar, former MLC K.S. Lakshmana Rao, and APNGOs' Association State Secretary D.V. Ramana offered lemon juice to the fasting teachers as a symbolic conclusion to the protest.
Later, the UTF leadership expressed regret that teachers were subjected to anxiety and uncertainty on Teachers' Day. They urged the government to resolve other pending issues, including the restructuring and rationalisation process. The federation also demanded that vacant teaching posts be filled immediately and that schools be provided with the required number of teachers.
The representatives further stressed that administrative decisions should not adversely affect students or teachers, and called for proper implementation of relevant provisions and guidelines.