Punjab education department restrained from finalizing the recruitment of 5,078 rural associate teachers in the state

Updated on: Monday, November 19, 2012

Punjab and Haryana high court on Saturday restrained Punjab education department from finalizing the recruitment of 5,078 rural associate teachers in the state.

Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa passed these orders while considering a petition filed by one Paraminder Pal and other unemployed BEd qualified persons from Punjab. The state education department had invited application for filling up 5,078 posts of rural associate teachers through a public notice on September 9, 2012.Petitioners in the case had stated that the National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE), which is the academic authority under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act) had, vide circular dated February 11, 2011 declared that a person for appointment as a teacher in any school must have acquired a pass certificate in TET (Teachers Eligibility Test) to be conducted by some agency appointed by the concerned state government. Such TET has to be conducted at least once every year.

The grievance of the petitioners was that ever since the condition regarding TET came into force, Punjab government conducted the test only once on July 3, 2011. The petitioners could not qualify the TET in July 2011 but the Punjab education department notified 5,078 posts of rural associate teachers in September 2012. The counsel for the petitioners submitted that Punjab government be directed to conduct a TET test before filling up posts of 5,078 rural associate teachers, so that a large number of persons, like the petitioners who either could not qualify the TET test in July, 2011, or who passed BEd examination in 2012, may get a chance to acquire TET qualification.

Observing that passing of TET is a basic qualification for consideration for appointment as a teacher, and the action of the state government in proceeding with recruitment of 5,078 rural associate teachers without holing TET will deny the petitioners and all other similarly situated prospective applicants a chance to acquire the required qualification, Justice Dhindsa restrained the Government from finalizing the recruitment process till the next date of hearing. Now the case has been fixed for further hearing on December 7.

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