Children of the armed personnel serving in various parts of the country are facing difficulties in pursuing education or entering public service as they are being categorised as non-local.
For men and women who are on the call of duty, the rule that the student should have pursued four years of continuous schooling until Class Ten examination has proved to be a stumbling block under the Presidential Order GO Ms no 674 in 1975.
The order states that a candidate for direct recruitment to any post shall be regarded as a local if he/she has studied for not less than four consecutive academic years ending with the academic year in which he had appeared for the qualifying examinations.
For instance, Shiak Yasmeen, daughter of ex subedar major SA Sattar who graduated from the NTR College of Veterinary Sciences, Gannavaram, in 2017, found her candidature being rejected for veterinary assistant surgeon though she studied in AP during the past six years prior to the notification issued by the Animal Husbandry Department in 2017. Her father retired in 2014. Dr. Yasmeen had done her schooling up to Class 10 in different States under the CBSE regulations.
After retirement, the family settled at Gudavalli in Cherukupalli mandal. Even after scoring 96.8% in the Intermediate ( Bi.P.C stream) in 2012, she could not pursue MBBS as she was considered non-local. She had joined the B.V.Sc and AH (veterinary) and completed her graduation in 2017. She scored an OGPA of 7.82 (first division).
“I have been a native of my village and all my Identity Cards are issued in the address of my home at Gudavalli. Even after having the Nativity Certificate and scoring meritorious marks in all examinations beginning with Class 10, I am being treated as non-local just because I have not studied here prior to Class Ten examination,” Dr. Yasmeen said.
Candidates like Dr. Yasmeen are now knocking at the doors of the High Court seeking justice.
