UP Teacher Recruitment Scam: Candidates Crawl on Roads During Massive Protest Outside Minister Sandeep Singh’s Residence in Lucknow (Watch Video)
Scores of candidates affected by the controversial 2018 Uttar Pradesh assistant teacher recruitment drive staged a major protest outside the Lucknow residence of state Education Minister Sandeep Singh on Monday.
Scores of candidates affected by the controversial 2018 Uttar Pradesh assistant teacher recruitment drive staged a major protest outside the Lucknow residence of state Education Minister Sandeep Singh on Monday. The demonstration comes just a day before the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a crucial matter regarding the recruitment process on May 19. Demonstrating in the peak summer heat, frustrated candidates gheraoed the minister's home, demanding that the Uttar Pradesh government actively and effectively pursue their case in the apex court. Highlighting the desperation of the job aspirants, several protesters were seen crawling along the asphalt road leading up to the minister’s residence.
The core grievance of the protesting candidates centers on the state government's handling of the ongoing legal battle. Applicants allege that the Yogi Adityanath-led administration has failed to present a strong defense in the Supreme Court, leaving thousands of qualified candidates in professional limbo for years. This is the latest in a series of intensifying demonstrations. Last month, on April 22, hundreds of candidates held a similar protest outside the Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow, wearing brooms and hanging pots around their necks to draw attention to their plight. INR 80,000 Job Offer Turns Trafficking Horror: How Delhi Youth Was Trapped in Myanmar Cybercrime Hub.
The roots of the controversy date back to 2018, when the Uttar Pradesh government launched a mass recruitment drive to fill 69,000 assistant teacher vacancies. While a merit list was prepared and positions were initially filled based on the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), the process quickly ran into legal trouble. Reserved category candidates approached the courts, alleging gross violations of the Uttar Pradesh Basic Education (Teachers) Service Rules of 1981 and the state's 1994 Reservation Rules. Protesters claim that nearly 19,000 seats were filled in a manner that unconstitutionally excluded eligible applicants from Dalit and Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities. Teacher Recruitment Scam: Calcutta High Court Lawyer Seeks Suo Motu Intervention on Use of Force Against Teachers; Police File Counter Case.
Candidates Crawl on Roads During Lucknow Protest Over Teacher Scam
REPORTED ALLEGATIONS - UP government considers the youth as insects.
METAPHOR GOES REALITY !!
CRAWLING PROTESTS FOR JOBS!!!
📍#Lucknow Education Minister's Residence #UttarPradesh youth demands appointment of 70,000 teachers. pic.twitter.com/j3do81BYdc
— KALLURI (@I_KALLURI) May 18, 2026
The legal battle saw a major development in August 2024 when the Allahabad High Court cancelled the selection lists issued in June 2020 and January 2022. The High Court directed the state government to draft a fresh merit list within three months, fully adhering to the designated reservation guidelines. However, the transition was halted after the Supreme Court stayed the High Court’s order, further complicating the legal process and delaying appointments. With administrative channels exhausted, the protesting candidates maintain that the upcoming Supreme Court hearing remains their final avenue for relief.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 18, 2026 08:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
