HRD principal secretary Anjani Kumar Singh listens to Rajendra Sinha at his janata darbar. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, Sept. 9: Age, they say, poses no barrier in learning or daring to take on new challenges in life, even if it is for a few months.

A 59-year-old man proved it right today when he approached the state human resource development (HRD) principal secretary Anjani Kumar Singh at his darbar, pleading to be appointed as a teacher in a government school.

The principal secretary was at his wit’s end after listening to Rajendra Sinha’s request. Claiming to have completed BEd training in 1983-84, Sinha demanded that he be given due consideration in the appointment of 34,540 primary school teachers. The principal secretary was left stumped for a few minutes before he could ask Sinha’s age. Sinha confidently replied: “Sir, presently I am 59 years old but I am confident of teaching students as I still remember all the topics and subjects I read during my BEd classes two decades ago.”

Clad in kurta and dhoti. Sinha seemed much more confident in comparison to the other applicants who had come to the janata darbar with their pleas and grievances. Even the HRD principal secretary was impressed with his confidence. After getting to know Sinha’s actual age, Singh said: “Even if you get an appointment as a teacher in a government school, it would be hardly for a few months.”

But Sinha seemed to have done his homework properly and refused to see logic in Singh’s reasoning. He said even if he gets a chance to work for a few months as a government teacher, he would be satisfied.

According to the rules of the state government, the retirement age of a schoolteacher is 60. Sinha’s certificates showed his date of birth as January 20, 1952. Under such circumstances, hardly five months are left for Sinha to complete 60 years.

Sinha, a resident of Bhagwanpur village under Silao block in Nalanda, completed his one-year BEd teachers’ training programme from Government Teachers Training College in Ranchi in 1983-84 securing a first class.

Sinha’s main plea was he be given due consideration in the appointment process of 34,540 teachers on the basis of his BEd degree. In 2003, the state government had initiated the teachers’ appointment process in primary schools and the persons holding teachers’ training degrees were given preference. Moreover, based on the year of teachers’ training degrees, persons were given preference. For this, the state government had drawn up a list containing the marks and the session (year) the person had obtained his degree.

However, based on a complaint of anomalies in the list, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in Patna High Court, when the case went to the Supreme Court, stopping the appointment process of 34,540 applicants. HRD sources said the verdict on the appointment process of 34,540 teachers would be declared in a few months.

Sinha, who ekes his living by giving tuitions to village children, has a family of five, including three unmarried daughters.

The principal secretary later forwarded Sinha’s letter to his juniors.