Allahabad HC quashes selection of 12,460 assistant teachers in UP

The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on Thursday quashed the selection of 12,460 assistant teachers in government primary schools, finding them to have been made in violation of Uttar Pradesh Basic Education (Teachers) Service Rules, 1981.

These selections were made in pursuance of an advertisement issued during the regime of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on December 21, 2016.

The court also directed initiation of fresh proceedings for selection of candidates. It granted three months for completing the selection process.

The bench of Justice Irshad Ali passed the order allowing a bunch of writ petitions.

The petitioners, who are para teachers, had questioned the changes in certain rules which were made after the job advertisement had been published.

By the change of rules, it was provided that the candidates of districts having zero vacancy would also be given liberty to pick any district as their first choice for counselling, they said.

Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate J N Mathur told the court the rules cannot be changed once the selection proceedings have started.

The court said, "Amendment in the statute, if it is not providing that the same will be made applicable from retrospective effect, cannot be made applicable from retrospective effect."