Staff fixation in schools: Kerala HC to decide on constitutional validity of rule on student identification document

Kochi: High court is to consider the constitutional validity of Rule 12(1) of Chapter XXIII of the Kerala Education Rules insofar as it restricts the use of identification documents of students other than UID Aadhaar for staff fixation in schools.A bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas adjourned the matter to Feb 10 for a detailed hearing. The court was considering a petition filed by the manager of SNV UP School, Moolamkudam, Chalakudy, Thrissur district.The petitioner challenged the staff fixation of his school on the ground that it failed to take into account four students whose UID Aadhaar cards had not been obtained at the relevant time. Subsequently, after obtaining the Aadhaar cards of the said students, the school manager submitted them and filed an appeal against the staff fixation order. However, the appeal was dismissed, and the review petition filed thereafter has remained pending before the competent authority, prompting the petitioner to approach HC.While considering the petition, HC observed that since the constitutional validity of the Rule had been challenged, the matter required a detailed hearing. Meanwhile, in an interlocutory application filed by the manager seeking redressal of his grievances, HC directed the general education department secretary to decide the review petition within two months, notwithstanding the pendency of the writ petition before HC.