The Supreme Court of India intervened in a crucial matter concerning the recruitment of assistant teachers in Uttar Pradesh. On Monday, the apex court issued a stay order against the Allahabad High Court’s directive to the state government. This directive mandated the preparation of a revised list of 69,000 assistant teachers based on the 2019 Assistant Teachers Recruitment Examination (ATRE).
The Supreme Court’s decision came as a result of appeals challenging the Allahabad High Court’s order. The High Court, on August 13th, directed the Uttar Pradesh government to create a revised selection list for the 69,000 assistant teacher positions. This revision was intended to ensure adherence to the Service Rules, 1981, and to implement the reservation policy as outlined in the Reservation Act, 1994.
The petitioners, who were initially selected for the positions, expressed their apprehension that the redrawing of the list could result in their losing their jobs, despite having successfully cleared the examination. They argued that this potential loss of employment was unwarranted and urged the Supreme Court to maintain the status quo until the matter was fully heard.
The Allahabad High Court’s order had stipulated that the revised list would be prepared according to the quality points system specified in the Service Rules. It also mandated the implementation of the reservation policy, allowing candidates from reserved categories who achieved merit equivalent to the general category to be placed in the general category.
The High Court further stressed the importance of ensuring that the students’ academic experience wouldn’t be disrupted if any working candidates were affected by the state government’s actions during the preparation of the new selection list.
The controversy stemmed from the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision in 2018 to fill 69,000 vacant assistant teacher positions. The state announced that the ATRE-2019 would serve as a qualifying examination for the recruitment process, following the 22nd amendment to the Service Rules, 1981. The petitioners, in their petition to the Allahabad High Court, challenged the Circular issued by the state government on January 7, 2019, regarding the ATRE-19 qualification examination.
The Supreme Court’s intervention, by staying the Allahabad High Court’s order, effectively puts the recruitment process on hold until further legal proceedings. This decision holds significant implications for the numerous candidates vying for the assistant teacher positions in Uttar Pradesh. The court’s final decision will determine the fate of the recruitment process and the future of the affected candidates.
