In a setback to nearly two lakh contractual teachers in primary schools across Uttar Pradesh, the Allahabad High Court on Saturday declared as illegal the State government’s move to regularize them and appoint them as Assistant Teachers.
A special three-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice D. Y. Chandrachud, Justice Dilip Gupta and Justice Yashwant Verma, also quashed the amendments brought in the State education department’s rules whereby nearly 1.71 lakh contractual teachers, popularly known as “Shiksha Mitras”, were being regularised.
The court ruled that the State government’s move violated the norms laid down by National Council for Teachers’ Education (NCTE) as well as the provisions of the Right to Education Act, 2010, both of which lay down that only those candidates could be appointed against regular vacancies for teachers who had cleared the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET).
The judgement, which affects the careers of nearly 1.71 lakh “Shiksha Mitras”, came on a petition filed by Shivam Rajan and several others who had challenged the State government’s move to regularize the contractual teachers.
“Shiksha Mitras” were appointed during the previous BSP rule in the State and had been provided a two-year Basic Training Course (BTC) meant for primary teachers through distance education.
Populist measure
In 2012, the newly-elected Samajwadi Party government initiated the populist measure of regularising the “Shiksha Mitras” by bringing in the amendments.
Nearly 59,000 contractual teachers were regularized in the first phase in June, 2014 followed by another 73,000 in the second phase in June this year.
The third phase was put on hold after the Supreme Court stayed the same and asked the High Court to take a final decision on the matter.
The special bench had commenced pronouncing its judgement on Friday but could not complete the same due to paucity of time. Consequently, the pronouncement of judgement was completed on Saturday. - PTI
