NEW DELHI: In a huge setback to around 3.5 lakh contractual teachers of Bihar, the Supreme Court on Friday refused to regularise their jobs. The apex court has set aside a Patna High Court order that had directed the government to regularise their jobs in 2017.
In its verdict, the Patna High Court had ruled equal pay for equal work for the contractual teachers working in the government schools of the state.
The petitioners had argued that teachers appointed in primary, secondary and higher secondary government schools after 2006 were receiving a lower salary as compared to regular teachers appointed by the government previously.
They had pleaded for a grant of a pay scale at par with teachers appointed under previous rules before 2006.
The Bihar government had, however, challenged the high court’s verdict in the apex court. In July last year, the Centre had supported the Bihar government’s stand against the equal pay for equal work demand of the contractual teachers.
The Central government had told the SC that the procedure followed for the recruitment of contractual teachers was not at par with the mode followed for hiring the regular teachers.