Jaipur, Apr 16 (IANS): Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar announced on Tuesday that the state Education Department was planning to recruit retired soldiers as teachers in government schools.

He said that they would be given the status equivalent to B.Ed degree holders and shall be appointed based on their merit and reservation quota.

“In case of the death of a soldier, his wife or dependent will be given a government job too,” he said.

Addressing a gathering while inaugurating the BJP’s Ramganj Mandi Lok Sabha office, Dilawar said, "Families of the soldiers should not worry as the war widows or the dependents will get a government job."

“The Rajasthan Education Department is making an initiative in this direction, and a proposal will soon be sent to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma,” the Education Minister added.

The MLA from Ramganj Mandi also mentioned, “A few former soldiers have applied for teaching positions in the Education Department, however, the officials are not ready to accept them without training.

“Hence, we instructed them that retired soldiers will have to be given the status equivalent to B.Ed degree holders so that we can recruit them as government school teachers depending on their merit and reservation.”

"Many Indian soldiers are martyred while serving the nation. However, there is no provision for giving compensatory appointments to war widows or dependents. I instructed Education Department officials to prepare a proposal, which will be sent to CM Bhajan Lal. We will take initiative all over India to provide government jobs to them,” he added.