Andhra Pradesh United Teachers Federation (APUTF) ended its indefinite hunger strike on Saturday after an assurance by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The federation launched the fast on Friday, demanding that in-service teachers be exempted from the mandatory TET requirement.

In a statement, APUTF State president N. Venkateswarlu and general secretary K.S.S. Prasad said that the Chief Minister assured that it was the government’s responsibility to ensure that all teachers appearing for the TET were able to pass the examination.

Following the Chief Minister’s assurance, APJAC Chairman A. Vidyasagar, former MLC K.S. Lakshmana Rao, and APNGOs’ Association State Secretary D.V. Ramana offered lemon juice to the fasting teachers, bringing the hunger strike to an end.

Later, the UTF leaders said that it was unfortunate that teachers were being subjected to anxiety and uncertainty on Teachers’ Day.

They said the government should address other concerns of teachers regarding the restructuring/rationalisation process. They demanded that vacant teaching posts be filled and that the required number of teachers be provided in schools.

The federation representatives said that the government should implement the relevant provisions and guidelines properly and ensure that students and teachers do not suffer because of administrative decisions.