Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], October 16 : Candidates for the Madhya Pradesh teacher recruitment examination staged a protest at Roshanpura Square in Bhopal on Thursday, demanding an increase in the number of Class-2 and Class-3 teacher posts in the state.
The protesters raised slogans against the state government and the Education Minister, demanding that the authorities fulfil their earlier assurances regarding an increase in vacancies.
Speaking to ANI, candidate Narendra Rajput said the candidates had been protesting since November 17, 2025, even before the results were declared, but their concerns had not been addressed.
"We have been protesting continuously since November 17--even before the results were declared. Back then, our concerns went unheard. On January 6, we held a historic protest--one of the largest ever seen on the streets of Madhya Pradesh--with thousands of aspiring teachers gathering on this very road. At that time, we were given assurances that the number of posts would be increased, yet that never happened," Rajput told ANI.
He cited promotions in previous recruitment cycles and other states, arguing that the state government should consider increasing the number of posts in Madhya Pradesh as well.
"We've provided proof that promotions did happen after the results. In 2022, you promoted people in 23 cases. In 2018, you promoted people in 22 cases. Recently in UP, for the posts that were announced, there were promotions too. Promotions are happening everywhere. What are you doing?" he said.
Rajput said the candidates were not opposed to the 50 per cent reservation for guest teachers but argued that the number of advertised posts should have been decided accordingly.
He also pointed to a provision in the recruitment notification allowing the number of posts to be increased or decreased and demanded a written response from the government regarding their demand.
"If the Education Minister explicitly states that he cannot increase the number of posts, we will leave. However, if you truly wish to foster employment in the country, all you need to do is put one thing in writing: that the future of these young people should not be jeopardised, and that their demands should be met. Please provide in writing exactly what you had previously promised," he said.
The candidate said the protesters would continue their agitation and seek a meeting with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, asserting that they had the right to raise their concerns with the government they had elected.
"We'll keep protesting as long as we can. We're going to meet the CM; it's our right. We're the ones who elected him. We have only one stance: we are the people of this country, and we are here," Rajput said.
He also expressed resentment over calls for the protesters to surrender voluntarily, saying they were educated people who understood their rights. He said some candidates had undertaken hunger strikes, including a waterless fast, in an attempt to draw the government's attention to their demands.
"We've stooped so low that we're ruining our own bodies. And you're saying that we came out on the streets today. The whole country is watching that we've come out today, but you're the ones who forced us to do it," he said.
During the protest, candidates raised slogans including "Inquilab Zindabad", "Shiksha Mantri jhootha hai" (the education minister is a liar), "Shiksha Mantri gayab hai" (the education minister is missing), and "Rahul Gandhi is with us". They also chanted, "Ek kachori do samosa, Shiksha Mantri ka kya bharosa?"
The agitation comes amid a continuing dispute over the number of teaching vacancies being filled through the state's recruitment process.
Earlier, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had written to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on September 29, urging the state government to address the demands of teacher recruitment candidates and increase the number of Class-2 and Class-3 posts.
In his letter, Rahul Gandhi said Madhya Pradesh government schools had more than one lakh vacant teacher positions, which he said were affecting children's education. He pointed out that the Teacher Recruitment 2025 process had announced 13,089 Class-3 posts and 10,800 Class-2 posts.
Rahul Gandhi said candidates who had secured good marks in the examination, including those working as guest teachers, were still waiting for permanent employment because of the limited number of vacancies. He also highlighted concerns over candidates who had crossed the age limit while waiting for recruitment opportunities.
He urged the Chief Minister to withdraw notices issued to protesting candidates, meet their representatives and hear their grievances. He also called for the immediate initiation of promotions and a second round of counselling for Class-2 and Class-3 teacher recruitment.
According to the candidates' representation to Rahul Gandhi, more than 1.15 lakh sanctioned teaching posts existed in the state's Education Department, while around 15,000 positions were being filled under the ongoing recruitment process.
The candidates have sought an increase of 3,000 posts in each subject under Class-2 recruitment and the creation of a total of 25,000 posts under Class-3 recruitment. They have also appealed to Rahul Gandhi to visit Bhopal and raise their demands with the appropriate authorities.
The candidates claimed that they have been staging protests in Bhopal since November 17, 2025, over their demands.
The candidates said their indefinite protest, which began on August 21, 2026, was continuing, with their demands centred on an increase in vacancies and greater recruitment opportunities in government schools.