Frame new policy to fill teachers' vacancy: SC to Tripura

The Supreme Court has directed the Tripura government to formulate a new employment policy to fill up the vacant posts of over 10,000 teachers while upholding the termination of the services of teachers appointed in 2010 and 2013.
A bench of Justices A K Goel and U U lalit, which refused to interfere with the termination order passed by the Tripura High Court on May 7, 2014, said the fresh selection process be completed by December 31, 2017 and allowed the already appointed teachers to continue till then.
"Since we do not find any ground to interfere with the impugned order, the directions in (high court order) now require to be suitably modified," it said and directed that a new employment policy should be framed by the state by April 30, 2017 if not already framed and advertisements for filing up the vacancies may be issued latest by May 31.

"The candidates who participated in the selection process pursuant to the advertisements in question, whether selected or not, will be allowed to participate in the fresh selection process by relaxing their age but subject to their having necessary qualification," it said.
The bench also said that the qualification in the case of teachers governed by the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 shall be in conformity with the relevant statutory provisions of the Act.
The qualification of teachers employed for classes IX and above shall be strictly in compliance with the relevant provisions concerning such appointments, it said.

The bench passed the order while dismissing the appeals of the Tripura government, beneficiary teachers and terminated teachers.
Tripura's Left Front government had recruited 1,100 post-graduate and 4,617 graduate teachers in 2010 and 4,606 under-graduate teachers in December 2013.