Palakkad: The round-the-clock protest by PSC LPST (Lower Primary School Teacher) rank holders in front of the Secretariat over delayed appointments ended on Tuesday after 37 days. The agitation was called off following a ministerial-level meeting at which the government sought 45 days to examine their demands.

S Valarmathi, a native of Vengodi in Palakkad who spearheaded the protest, had been on an indefinite hunger strike for 13 days. Currently hospitalised, she spoke to Manorama with the assistance of fellow protester V S Indu of Cherpulassery. Valarmathi is ranked 168th on the Palakkad district list.

Q: Are you calling off the protest altogether?

A: The government has said it needs 45 days to examine our demands, including an extension of the rank list's validity and a restructuring of the student-teacher ratio. We have decided to wait at the protest venue for these 45 days. There will be no protests or slogan-shouting during this period.

The rank list was published last year and is valid until 2028. Why, then, did you decide to launch the protest now?

The rank list came into force on May 31, 2025 and two academic years have already passed, leaving only two years of its validity. In some districts, including Palakkad, even the top-ranked candidates are yet to get appointments. Whenever we raise the issue, we are told there are no vacancies. How long can we keep waiting? Many of us no longer have the time to take another examination and leave our future to chance.

Why have there been no appointments at all from the rank list in some districts?

The government says fresh appointments are not being made because teachers whose posts become redundant as student numbers decline are being redeployed to other schools. But what are candidates like us, who cleared the examination and made it to the rank list, supposed to do?