The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has enlisted the services of a detective agency, Appu Detective and Security Services Ltd, to provide teachers for its schools and colleges in the academic year 2023-24. 

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Source: Hindustan Times

The civic body has allocated a total of Rs 3.40 crore for this initiative, covering salaries, provident fund contributions, and a 2% service charge. The agency is tasked with furnishing 138 teachers for nursery, primary, high schools, and pre-university colleges in BBMP’s South and RR Nagar zones. Despite concerns, this decision has raised eyebrows and sparked discussions about the unconventional approach.

The procurement process involved three bidders, with Appu Detective and Security Services Ltd emerging as the chosen agency after the BBMP rejected Sharp Watch Investigation Security Services and Feature Planet OPC Private Limited in the financial evaluation. Rakesh Singh, the BBMP administrator, gave the green light to the proposal, setting the stage for a distinctive collaboration.

Source: The Indian Express

Explaining the decision, Preeti Gehlot, Special Commissioner (Education) at BBMP, highlighted the scarcity of agencies specializing solely in providing teachers in Bengaluru. Appu Detective and Security Services Ltd, which already supplies manpower for various services, including security and data entry operators, stepped in to address this gap. Gehlot mentioned that a screening committee has been instituted to assess the eligibility of teachers before they are appointed for teaching roles.

Srinivas Murthy, president of the Outsourced Teachers Association, expressed reservations about BBMP’s decision to engage private agencies for teacher recruitment. Murthy suggested that instead of paying approximately Rs 4,000 as a service fee to the agency, the BBMP could directly hire teachers as guest lecturers, following a model adopted by the state government. He emphasized that the current salaries for teachers and lecturers are meager, and the BBMP could allocate the same funds more efficiently by recruiting teachers directly.