Patna: Prompted by the Patna High Court’s order, the education department, Bihar, has decided to offer relief to guest teachers in the appointment of teachers of plus-two schools by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC).
Now, guests teachers will be entitled for a maximum weightage of 25 marks on the basis of weightage of five marks for each year they served. However, the weightage will finally depend on the outcome of an LPA filed by the department in the court.
The High Court has passed an order on May 29, 2024 in Sandeep Kumar Jha and others vs. Government of Bihar (CWJC No. 2270/2024) to give a maximum weightage of 25 marks to the qualified guest teachers in the appointment of teachers of Higher Secondary School under the advertisement number-22/2024 of the BPSC on May 29, 2024 on the basis of weightage of five marks for each year of service.
Also Read: BPSC prepares suppl result of phase-2 teachers’ recruitment exam
The court stayed the February 7, 2024, advertisement of the BPSC for teachers’ recruitment and directed the state government to take a final call on the issue of weightage to guest teachers on the lines of the contract teachers.
“The government is directed to take final decision to grant of five marks for each year of employment and maximum 25 marks to guest teachers as given to the contract teachers, within one month,” said the bench of Justice Anjani Kumar Sharan.
Also Read: Bihar govt amends teachers’ recruitment rule; aspirants call for stir
The bench said the BPSC had (5 given 5 marks per year and maximum 25 marks) of preference/ weightage to the teachers employed on contract basis in backward class and extreme backward class welfare department and promised the same relief in the next advertisement published on February 7, 2024, but ignored the guest teachers who fulfil the academic qualifications and have worked for more than five years.
“The petitioners approached the authorities concerned for relief and publication of supplementary results of the earlier teachers’ recruitment exam, but it was not heard and the next advertisement was issued,” the court said.
Also Read: ‘Outsiders’ face heat for availing local teachers’ relaxation in Bihar
Citing the examples of states like Delhi, Haryana and Uttarakhand, the court said, “It is policy matter of the state to grant grace marks to contractual teachers but not to guest teachers, which is violation of Article 14 of the Constitution of India. I am of the view that both the contract teachers and the guest teachers are discharging same duties as they are teaching the students in the school and no difference exists between them and the guest teachers are also entitled to 5 marks for each one year of employment and maximum of 25 marks.”
