LUDHIANA, Aug. 24 — The state government’s withdrawal of an advertisement for 2,000 physical training instructor (PTI) posts has drawn sharp criticism from job aspirants and the teaching community, who say the decision has crushed their hopes and worsened Punjab’s sports education crisis.
The education department has clarified that there are no immediate plans to reissue the advertisement, leaving thousands of candidates uncertain about their future. The move also compounds a long-pending issue: 646 sports teacher posts advertised in 2011 remain unresolved more than a decade later.
Official data from the e-Punjab portal shows that none of the 12,819 government primary schools in the state has a designated physical education teacher. In their absence, headmasters and classroom teachers — most without formal sports training — continue to take on fitness and games.
The Annual Status of Education Report 2024 by Pratham Foundation underscored the gap, noting that 38.8% of upper primary government schools had no physical education teacher, while 56.8% depended on teachers of other subjects. Only 4.4% employed a dedicated instructor.
The government had previously assured candidates that vacancies would be filled. Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains had announced cabinet approval for the recruitment of 2,000 PTIs, and advertisements were issued in July. Aspirants even staged protests in Ludhiana ahead of the bypolls, demanding notification. But hopes were dashed when the advertisement was withdrawn less than three weeks later.
Rajji, an applicant from Muktsar, described the setback as devastating. “The posts were notified in 2022 but the advertisement was issued this year. All our hopes are gone now. Despite winning medals at national and international levels and meeting all eligibility conditions, we are left hopeless. My father, a daily wage labourer, had to sell our buffaloes to support my training, believing I would get a job on merit. But here I am, without any opportunity.”
Others raised concerns over eligibility rules. Tarsem Singh, who had applied for the 2011 posts, said, “Many of us are now overage. For the new posts, only those with CPEd or DPEd were eligible, while those with higher qualifications were barred from applying. This makes no sense. Without proper instructors, Punjab will continue to suffer in sports.”
Teachers echoed the concerns, pointing to the impact on students. “At the primary level, which is crucial for a child’s physical development, there are no sports teachers. Only those teachers who volunteer are training children, but this is no substitute for professional guidance,” said Jagjit Singh Mann, district president of the Government Teachers’ Union and head teacher at Government Primary School, Mangli Uchi, Ludhiana.
When asked if the posts would be advertised again, Anindita Mitra, administrative secretary of school education, said, “We are required to re-examine the recruitment rules in light of various judicial pronouncements. Only after that can the government make a decision.”
