Bengaluru, April 8 (NationPress) Karnataka's Chief Secretary, Shalini Rajneesh, reached out to Maharashtra's Chief Secretary, Rajesh Agarwal, via a letter on Wednesday, requesting that the state government facilitate the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) in Kannada for educators in Kannada medium schools located in Maharashtra.

In her correspondence, Rajneesh expressed gratitude to the Maharashtra administration for recently announcing job openings aimed at filling positions in Kannada medium institutions.

She pointed out that a considerable number of Kannadigas, who are part of a linguistic minority, reside in areas including Jat, Akkalkot, and South Solapur taluks, extending to parts of Mumbai.

The letter disclosed that there are approximately 377 Kannada medium schools in Maharashtra, with close to 44,860 students enrolled.

Rajneesh mentioned that, adhering to directives from the Supreme Court, all current teachers are required to pass the TET by 2027 to maintain their job security.

However, the lack of a TET option in Kannada has led to anxiety and uncertainty among teachers in these schools.

She reiterated that the rights of linguistic minority groups are safeguarded by constitutional provisions, notably Articles 30, 347, 350, 350A, and 350B, and indicated that the present scenario adversely affects both educators and students from these communities.

Highlighting Karnataka's practices, Rajneesh noted that the state administers the TET in Marathi for Marathi-speaking candidates residing in Karnataka.

She appealed to Maharashtra to extend a similar arrangement for teachers who speak Kannada.

With the deadline for TET applications approaching on April 16, she urged for prompt action.

Rajneesh requested the Maharashtra government to enable an option for Kannada in the TET for current teachers in Kannada medium schools and to apply the same provision for future recruitment.

Furthermore, she advocated for prioritizing the appointment of teachers in Kannada medium schools throughout the state.

In her concluding remarks, Rajneesh stressed, "Given the impending deadline for TET applications (April 16), I sincerely urge you to address this issue with the highest urgency. I anticipate your cooperation in directing the Maharashtra Education Department to take swift and appropriate measures."

"Firstly, please ensure that those teaching in Kannada medium schools in Maharashtra can also opt to take the TET in Kannada. Secondly, extend this option to all future teacher recruitment notifications. Lastly, prioritize filling all teacher vacancies in Kannada medium schools across Maharashtra," Rajneesh implored.

Earlier, expressing concern over the situation, the office of the Secretary of the Karnataka Border Area Development Authority had written to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh.

The Adarsh Kannada Balaga from Solapur district in Maharashtra had previously submitted a representation to Somanna Bevinamarad, the President of the Karnataka Border Area Development Authority, regarding this issue.