High Court relief for over 500 ‘niyojit’ teachers in state

Patna: The Patna high court on Wednesday granted major relief to more than 500 ‘niyojit’ teachers appointed by panchayat and urban local bodies whose prospects of receiving status and pay scale at par with state govt schoolteachers had been affected by a decision of the director of primary education issued on Dec 21, 2024.

A single bench of Justice Alok Kumar Sinha, while allowing a batch of writ petitions filed by Kumar Gaurav and 515 other niyojit teachers, quashed the Dec 21, 2024 order through which the provisional appointments of all petitioners as exclusive schoolteachers, notified on Nov 20, 2024, had been cancelled.

The high court held that the provisional appointments were valid and legal as the entire exercise had been carried out in accordance with the provisions of the unamended Exclusive School Teacher Rules, 2023, which were later modified by the state govt.

The petitioners had successfully cleared the competency test conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board in Feb 2024 for becoming exclusive schoolteachers. Under the system, exclusive schoolteachers are entitled to salary and service benefits equivalent to those of state govt teachers recruited through the Bihar Public Service Commission.

The unamended rules for exclusive schoolteachers had also provided candidates the option to choose postings through a preferential list of three districts of their choice. However, the provision relating to district preference was later withdrawn after the state govt amended the 2023 rules.

Following the amendment, the director of primary education cancelled the provisional appointments of the petitioners. The high court, however, termed the cancellation illegal and arbitrary and ruled in favour of the teachers.