The Gujarat Assembly has passed the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (Amendment) Bill making the Teacher Aptitude Test (TAT) mandatory for the recruitment of teachers in institutions run by religious and linguistic minorities. The TAT is conducted by the state education board. As per the amendments, institutions run by religious and linguistic minorities can now only recruit teachers who have qualified for the TAT.
State Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama told the assembly that The amendment comes following orders by the Supreme Court and Gujarat High Court. It also provides for a secondary and higher secondary school to be recognized by other departments such as social justice and empowerment, tribal development, and Samagra Shikshan Abhiyan in the state.
Under the bill, 15% of teaching staff vacancies at registered private secondary and higher secondary schools will have to be reserved for SC/ST candidates. The assembly also saw the Gujarat State Tax on Professionals, Trades, Callings, and Employments (Amendment) Bill, Code of Criminal Procedure (Gujarat Amendment) Bill, Gujarat Appropriation Bill, and Gujarat Appropriation (Excess Expenditure) Bill being passed.
