The Supreme Court of India intervened on Monday to stay an order from the Allahabad High Court that had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to redraw the selection list for 69,000 assistant teacher positions. The High Court’s decision also annulled previously issued selection lists from June 2020 and January 2022, which included 6,800 candidates, causing significant administrative upheaval.
The stay was granted by a bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, along with Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, who also issued notices to the UP government and other stakeholders, including the secretary of the UP Basic Education Board. This response came after a plea from Ravi Kumar Saxena and 51 other petitioners.
In the proceedings, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati represented the Uttar Pradesh government. The top court has scheduled a final hearing for the week commencing September 23 and has requested all parties to submit concise written arguments limited to seven pages.
The controversy stems from a series of legal challenges concerning the recruitment process. The High Court in August mandated the creation of a new selection list following appeals from several candidates, led by Mahendra Pal, who contested a single-judge’s March 13 decision from the previous year. This judge had ruled that candidates who availed of reservation benefits in the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) could not be considered under the unreserved category, even if they met the general category’s cut-off marks.
Reacting to widespread concerns about potential disruptions in education due to these legal entanglements, the High Court had instructed that any new selection list should mitigate adverse impacts on currently employed assistant teachers, allowing them to complete the ongoing academic session.
Furthermore, the High Court had adjusted its stance regarding reserved category candidates, stating those qualifying under general category merit should be shifted accordingly, a move intended to ensure fairness in the recruitment process.
