3,206 teacher posts, two selection lists

In 2003, Sanjiv Kumar, director for primary education in Om Prakash Chautala's Haryana government, approached the Supreme Court with two merit lists for the selection of 3,206 junior basic teachers. The candidates' interview scores had been doctored in one of these lists, Kumar alleged; the other list contained the genuine scores. There had been 7,707 candidates originally and teachers were appointed in 2000 — on the basis of the list allegedly doctored.

As it turned out, Kumar himself was among those convicted on Wednesday, along with O P Chautala and his MLA son Ajay, in what has come to be known as the JBT scam. Kumar had allegedly connived with Chautala in changing the interview scores to favour certain candidates. The IAS officer fell out with Chautala later, hence the complaint, says the CBI's chargesheet on the scandal.

Kumar's predecessor, Rajni Sekhri Sibbal, too had taken on the Chautala government. In 2000, she sealed the "original list" of selected teachers, made five colleagues sign the packets and locked these up in a cupboard, apparently because she was frustrated with pressure to go with the "doctored list". The government transferred her and replaced her with Kumar.

The vacancies had been advertised in November 1999. Since the Haryana Staff Selection Commission had been dissolved at the time, the government recruited the teachers through district-level committees headed by district education officers. The process of selection was conducted under the director for primary education's supervision.

"Sanjiv Kumar took over additional charge of director, primary education, on July 11, 2000, with an understanding that he would act in connivance with the then chief minister; Ajay Singh Chautala (then MP); Sher Singh Badshami (political adviser to CM Chautala); and Vidya Dhar (officer on special duty to CM Chautala) and prepare a second list of interview marks by changing the interview marks in the original lists submitted by 18 district-level committees," the CBI chargesheet says.

... contd.

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