Vacant Principal posts in govt schools: HC seeks UPSC response

A plea alleging massive shortage of teaching staff, including Principals, in schools run by Delhi government and the MCDs has led the Delhi High Court to seek a response from the Union Public Service Commission.
Justice Manmohan made UPSC a party as it is responsible for recruitment of Principals. He listed the matter for further hearing on March 9.
Apart from the commission, the court also sought replies from the Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCDs) and the Directorate of Education (DoE) regarding the number of vacancies in each school in the category of Principal, Vice- Principal, Post Graduate Teacher (PGT), Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT), Special Educators and Assistant Teachers.

The court was hearing a petition filed by NGO Social Jurist seeking contempt action against the government for allegedly not ensuring 'zero vacancy' in its schools at the start of the academic session and deploying 176 teaching staff for court work, instead of teaching.
DoE had earlier in an affidavit claimed that the deficiency in teaching staff was just around 12 per cent, by taking into account the teachers employed on contract.
The court, however, did not agree with the government's stand to count contract teachers in the total strength.

DoE had also said that the interest of students was unaffected as suitable replacements were engaged on contract when the teachers were deployed on court work.

It had also said that none of its schools was without a Principal as the Vice-Principals have taken up the responsibility.
This submission was made in response to the NGO's allegation, in its plea filed through advocate Ashok Aggarwal, that there were vacant Principal posts in 80 per cent of the Delhi government schools.