Candidates awaiting results from the 18th Teachers’ Registration Exam have ended their hunger strike following assurances from Education Secretary Rehana Parveen.

The protest began on September 17 against alleged discrimination in the final selection process, where nearly 20,600 candidates were dropped despite passing written exams. Protesters argued that, under NTRCA rules, candidates scoring at least 40% in both written and oral exams should qualify. They accused authorities of unfair exclusion that deepens the country’s teacher shortage.