Bhopal Teacher Protest: Candidates Demand More Posts in MP Recruitment
Thousands of MP teacher candidates protested in Bhopal, demanding more Class 2 and Class 3 vacancies and a written government response.
Thousands of teacher job candidates gathered on the streets of Bhopal to demand more posts in the Madhya Pradesh Class 2 and Class 3 teacher recruitment process. The protesters tried to march towards the Chief Minister's residence, but police stopped them at Roshanpura Square.
The protest continued late into the night. Several candidates were taken into custody and sent to Khajuri Sadak police station, according to the report. The protesters said they would not end the movement until the government issues a written order on increasing the number of posts.
Police stop march towards CM House
The candidates first gathered outside the Directorate of Public Instruction office. They then took out a rally towards the Chief Minister's residence. Police placed barricades at Chetak Bridge and Roshanpura Square to stop the march.
A long standoff followed. The candidates sat on the road, raised slogans and asked the government to act on its earlier promises. One slogan that drew attention was, Ek kachori, do samosa, Shiksha Mantri ka kya bharosa? The line means, "One kachori, two samosas, what trust can there be in the Education Minister?" It added a sharp touch of humour to an otherwise tense protest.
What are the teacher candidates demanding?
The main demand is an increase in vacancies under the Class 2 and Class 3 teacher recruitment process. The candidates claim that the School Education Department has more than 1.15 lakh approved posts, but the current recruitment drive covers only about 15,000 posts.
For Class 2 recruitment, the protesters want 3,000 extra posts in each subject. For Class 3 recruitment, they are asking for 25,000 new posts. They say this will give more qualified candidates a chance to secure government jobs and help schools deal with teacher shortages.
The candidates have also raised concerns about the 50 percent reservation for guest teachers. They say they do not oppose the reservation. Their point is that the government should consider this system while fixing the total number of vacancies.
Why has the protest continued for so long?
Teacher candidates say their movement has continued for more than a year. They have been raising the issue since 17 November 2025, as stated by the protesters. They also claim that they met officials and held earlier demonstrations before the recruitment results were announced.
Candidate leader Narendra Rajput said thousands of young people joined a major protest in Bhopal on 6 January. The candidates say they received an assurance that the government would consider increasing the posts. However, they claim that no written order has been issued so far.
The candidates have now asked the Education Minister to give a clear written reply. Their position is simple: increase the number of posts or state in writing that this cannot be done. They say repeated verbal assurances have left many young people waiting without a clear answer.
Several candidates detained during protest
The situation became tense when some protesters tried to move past the barricades towards the CM House. Police stopped them and detained several people. The candidates remained at Roshanpura Square until late at night and continued to raise slogans.
The protesters said the detentions would not end the movement. Eeshan Srivastava, one of the leaders, urged selected and waiting candidates from across the state to come to Bhopal. Narendra Rajput also said the protest could grow if the government does not respond to the demands.
Political leaders have raised the issue
The teacher recruitment dispute has also entered the political debate. Rahul Gandhi wrote to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on 29 September and asked the government to consider increasing the Class 2 and Class 3 posts.
In his letter, Gandhi referred to more than one lakh vacant teacher posts in government schools in the state. He also asked the Chief Minister to meet representatives of the protesting candidates and hear their concerns.
What happens next?
The candidates say they will continue their protest until the government releases a written order on post increases. Their demands now include 3,000 extra posts for every Class 2 subject and 25,000 posts for Class 3 recruitment. The state government's next response will decide whether the protest moves towards talks or spreads to more districts.
