AAP govt seeks UPSC view on Kashmiri migrant teachers

The AAP government has asked the UPSC to look into a decision of its cabinet giving nod for regularisation of Kashmiri migrant teachers, who fled their state and are working in municipal and government schools on contractual basis for about 13 years.
A letter was written to the UPSC following the Delhi High Court's order to the government to take an expeditious decision on regularising Kashmiri migrant teachers.
The Delhi government additional standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi said that the copy of communication to the UPSC was to be placed before the court on September 15.
But the bench did not assemble and it will be placed before the court on October 13, the next date of hearing, he said.

The Delhi government's Directorate of Education (DoE) on August 21 had sent a letter to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) seeking relaxation in the provisions on age limit and method of recruitment.
The Delhi government told UPSC that after the cabinet's July 12 decision, they have obtained the LG's approval and wants its concurrence.

An assistant director in the Education Department said in the letter that in compliance of cabinet's July 12 decision and approval of the LG, he was sending a proposal to UPSC for its concurrence for one time relaxation in recruitment rules for the posts of post graduate teachers, trained graduate teacher, librarian and music teacher for appointment of Kashmiri migrant teachers working on contract basis.

The letter said that the relaxation sought was in the provisions relating to age limit and method of recruitment.
A bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and Deepa Sharma had issued the direction after the Delhi government informed it that its Cabinet has approved regularisation of the migrant teachers, numbering around 180, and the assent of LG Anil Baijal was awaited.
The bench was hearing the government's appeal challenging a 2015 order of a single judge of the high court directing regularisation of the Kashmiri migrant teachers employed on contractual basis in government and municipal schools in the national capital since 1994.

The 2015 order of the high court had come on the plea of the migrant teachers who were seeking equal pay and work benefits as well as regularisation of jobs, after their representations to the Centre and the Delhi government had failed to get them any relief.
While issuing the direction, the single judge had said the difference in pay was substantial.
The court had noted that according to 2015 figures, regular PGT and TGTs in government schools were getting Rs 70,401 and Rs 60,496, respectively, while the migrant teachers in these categories were getting Rs 29,187 and Rs 28,773.

In municipal schools, while regular teachers were in 2015 getting Rs 49,900, the migrant teachers were being paid Rs 25,000, it had said.
The court had also noted that while regular teachers were also given allowances and benefits like 10 per cent of school fees for child education, medical benefit for the entire family, bonus of Rs 3,454 per year, LTC of Rs 1,50,000 above once every four years and two months summer vacation, the Kashmiri migrant teachers were allowed only eight days of casual leave.