The Patna high court has sought the state governmentтАЩs reply within three weeks on petitions challenging the new recruitment rules for schoolteachers.
A bench of chief justice K Vinod Chandran and justice Partha Sarthy refrained from staying the process on Monday, saying the court will consider doing that when it deems it fit. It was hearing a bunch of petitions of teachers working since 2006 demanding the government employee status under the Bihar State School Teacher (Appointment, Transfer, Disciplinary Proceedings and Service Conditions) Rules, 2023, without an examination.
Lawyer Abhinav Srivastava, who appeared for one of the petitioners, said the teachers appointed since 2006 would have to take fresh exams despite serving for 17 years and having the same qualification as required for new recruits.
The government has offered relaxation in marks ranging from 5-10% to candidates having qualified Central Teacher Eligibility Test. A notification to this effect was issued on Monday.
The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) last month issued an advertisement for the appointment of around 1,70000 school teachers by December.
The government has said all fresh appointments of schoolteachers will be done through the BPSC and only those who clear the recruitment exam will have government employee status. The existing teachers will also need to go through the process to be granted the status. They will get increments but not the status if they do not clear the test.
