Jamui: In an unusual twist of fate, Anita Kumari, a teacher at Plus Two High School in Shobhakhan, Bihar, retired on December 31, 2024, just a day before she was scheduled to join a new role as a special teacher. Kumari received her appointment letter on December 30, after passing the 'Sakshamta One' exam, with her new position set to begin on January 1, 2025.
However, as she had reached the mandatory retirement age of 60, she retired the day before her new appointment.
Kumari served as a Panchayat teacher in Shobhakhan since 2006, later qualifying as a high school teacher after passing the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) in 2014. With over 18 years of service, she was eager to step into her new role. However, the age rule meant she could not take advantage of the opportunity.
Anita Kumari told ETV Bharat, "I have been continuously serving in a government school. Despite the competency test with good marks, it is my misfortune that the day I received the joining letter, I retired the next day. It will definitely be a pain that I could not become a state employee."
She lamented that the delay was due to a departmental process. "Consider it an irony. This is a departmental process, what can we do about it? But I am satisfied that I have completed my work well. However, there is a slight regret that I could not become a government employee even for a day," she said.
Her retirement was in line with departmental rules that require teachers to retire at 60. The headmaster of Shobhakhan Plus Two High School, Nirbhay Kumar said, "Anita Kumari was working as a Sanskrit teacher in our school. After passing the Sakshamta One exam, she had to join the new school but she retired before that. A ceremony was organised on Tuesday to bid her farewell."
Mahesh Kumar, the Education Officer of Khaira Block explained, "According to the rules of the Education Department, any teacher retires at the age of 60. Anita Kumari had received the appointment letter after passing the Sakshamta One exam, but being 60 years old, she retired before joining the new school."
Despite the bittersweet turn of events, Anita Kumari's dedication to her service was honoured with a farewell at the school, marking the end of an era.
