Patna: Hundreds of aspiring teachers in Bihar surrounded the state headquarters of the Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday, demanding a ten-year relaxation in the maximum age limit for the upcoming Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE-4).
The protest came even before the state government released the official advertisement for the recruitment process, highlighting growing frustration among candidates over repeated delays and limited opportunities in previous rounds. Demonstrators, including those who have cleared CTET, STET, D.El.Ed and B.Ed examinations, raised slogans and warned that thousands of eligible applicants could be excluded solely due to age restrictions.
“The age limit is unjust. Many of us have been preparing for years, but delays in recruitment notifications have pushed us beyond the eligibility criteria,” one candidate said.
Protesters appealed directly to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and S. Siddharth, Additional Chief Secretary of the Education Department, urging them to announce the proposed relaxation for all categories before the TRE-4 advertisement is issued. Similar age relaxations have been granted in the past under special circumstances, they noted.
Demonstrators warned that their agitation would escalate if the government failed to address their demands promptly. Officials from the state government have yet to issue a statement on the matter, but pressure on authorities appears to be mounting.
