Patna: Around 4 lakh teachers, recruited by the urban local bodies (ULBs) and panchayati raj institutions (PRIs), are up in arms against the Bihar government’s decision to appoint around 1.78 lakh teachers through the newly approved rules by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC). They say that the government’s bid would create yet another cadre of teachers in addition to two types of already working teachers and denying them the benefits of state government’s status by imposing an examination rider.
While they have already intensified the protest ever since the BPSC announced the syllabus for the examination, a section of them has filed petitions against the new Bihar state schoolteachers (appointment, transfer, disciplinary action, and service condition) rules, 2023, in the Patna high court. The state government seeks to carry out fresh recruitments drives under this rule.
Teachers file case against new recruitment rules
As per reports, the TET teachers’ association has filed a petition in the high court last week for quashing the new rules and pleaded for removal of exam rider for status of government employees to around two-lakh working teachers, who have cleared the teachers’ eligibility test, as per the provisions laid down under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, from the date of joining.
Also Read: BPSC releases syllabus for recruitment test for 1.78 lakh teachers
The association president Amit Bikram said that their stand is very apparent. “We cannot be discriminated against, as we have been appointed through proper procedure laid down by the government,” he said after Saturday’s protest.
Protests continue
On Saturday, the teachers recruited since 2006 through PRIs and ULBs took to the streets, as per their schedule, in all the divisional headquarters, including Patna, and alleging that the state government did not have the intent to appoint teachers to better the school education. “The state government is basically trying to mislead the people and forcing litigations to derail the process,” claimed one of the teachers.
Also Read: Unfazed Bihar govt firm on new recruitment norms for teachers
Govt directs officials to act tough with protesting teachers
The agitating teachers staged the protest three days after the Bihar government directed all the regional deputy directors (RDDs) and district education officers (DEOs) to deal sternly with teachers who resort to protests and demonstrations against the new rules.
One of the major arguments of protest is also that on the basis of rules of 2006, 2012, 2020, PRI and ULBs had the right to appoint teachers. New rules were made without abolishing the old rules, which is wrong. The date of hearing will be fixed only when the High Court opens after the summer vacation.
Also Read: Bihar TET decision after 7th phase of teachers’ recruitment over
Legal tussle
A senior advocate of Patna High Court Dinu Kumar said that the new rules for the recruitment of 1.78 lakh teachers were made without abolishing rules made for recruitment of teachers by the ULBs and PRIs. “How can the salary of new teachers be more than that of employed teachers? There are many such questions due to which the new rules can get caught in a legal tussle. TET-STET passed candidates are also demanding reinstatement without examination,” argued Kumar.
Teachers question govt intent
“The government’s intention is not right, and it wants judicial intervention to stop the process. It happened earlier also when the government declared the teachers appointed before 2006 a dying cadre and came up with a humiliating pay scale, which increased to some extent after judicial intervention and continued protests. Now, it wants to create a third type of teachers after denying the legitimate rights of the working ones. Naturally, teachers will knock on the doors of the judiciary for justice,” said Shatrughan Prasad Singh, former MP and president of the Bihar Secondary Teachers’ Association.
Also Read: Jharkhand SSC to hold exam to fill up 3120 posts of Plus-2 teachers.
New teachers’ appointment to cost ₹10,623-cr
The appointment of 1.78-lakh teachers announced by the government will cost the exchequer ₹10623 crore. This includes 33186 in secondary schools and 57618 in higher secondary schools, which the govt plans to complete in the first phase.
Basic objections to new rules
In the Rules 2012 and 2020, 3 grades of elementary teachers were mentioned – Basic, Graduate and Middle School Principal. But there is no mention of the post of headmaster in the rules of 2023, it was to be filled by promotion. There is no provision for promotion in this rule. There is talk of filling all the seats by direct recruitment, while earlier 50 percent posts of graduate grade were filled by promotion.
