E-Paper
Nearly 1,300 Haryana JBT teachers sacked by HC to continue in jobs
The Punjab and Haryana high court in a July 20 judgment had directed the state government to give appointments to eligible candidates whose names were recommended by the Haryana School Teachers Selection Board (HSTSB) in the main merit list of August 20, 2014
: In a huge relief to about 1,300 junior basic training (JBT) or primary teachers in Haryana, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that the candidates who obtained Haryana Teacher Eligibility Test (HTET) qualification after December 8, 2012 would continue in jobs. These JBT teachers were in service since 2017.
The Punjab and Haryana high court in a July 20 judgment had directed the state government to give appointments to eligible candidates whose names were recommended by the Haryana School Teachers Selection Board (HSTSB) in the main merit list of August 20, 2014.
The HC, however, declared that the candidates in the second list whose names were recommended by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (since HSTSB was disbanded on December 24, 2014) on August 4, 2015 in compliance of a high court order of April 29, 2015 in Antim Kumari case were not eligible for regular appointment as they do not have requisite qualification for the post of JBT or PRT at the time of filing of applications on December 8, 2012.
The aggrieved candidates on the brink of losing their jobs thereafter filed special leave petitions (SLP) in the Supreme Court. The SLPs were heard by an apex court bench headed by Justice Aniruddha Bose.
Operative part of judgment dictated in the court: Senior AAG
Haryana’s senior additional advocate general Anil Grover who represented the state government in the Supreme Court said the operative part of the judgment was dictated in the court on Tuesday to avoid any confusion on the points which were agreed upon by all the parties.
“The apex court said that candidates in the main merit list and its waiting list and those candidates who fulfilled the eligibility criteria but got the HTET certificate after December 8, 2012 and the waiting list will continue in service.
“Their seniority will be fixed by the state government as per the manner prescribed by the SC. It was submitted to the SC that there are several SLPs as well as IAs pending on the same issue and quietus to the litigation of JBT teachers should be given for all times to come, which was agreed upon and registry was directed to place all those matters along with present SLPs. The judgment finally delivered in the matter will cover those pending SLPs as well. And those matters will stand disposed of in terms of today’s orders,” Grover said.
CM had backed the sacked JBT teachers
Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had expressed support with the JBT teachers and recently had said that help will be extended to all candidates as there are enough vacancies. The state government had shown willingness to accommodate all competing claims due to a large number of vacancies, about 21,967 as per the elementary education department.
‘Willing to retain them, sacking them would create shortage’
The state government, as per various communications, was willing to retain the JBT teachers in jobs on the grounds that if the high court judgement of July 20 is implemented, than there will be a shortage of JBT teachers. Also, the state government took the line that the process to select the candidates in the second list by the commission has never been challenged by any candidate. These teachers were providing teaching service to primary class students in an efficient manner and the state government had invested huge sums in training them, as per a communication. ENDS
