CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has sought a detailed response from the state government regarding the total number of teacher vacancies in the state and the action plan for their regular recruitment, following a petition challenging the engagement of retired teachers as guest teachers in schools.
A single judge bench of Justice Dixit Krishna Shripad passed the order on a writ petition filed by Arpita Priyadarshini and three others, all qualified trained graduate teachers (TGTs). The petitioners have prayed for quashing of the School and Mass Education department’s notification dated August 1, which intends to engage 6,387 retired teachers as guest teachers for the academic year 2025-26 in government, fully aided and block grant high schools and sanskrit tolls.
The petitioners, all trained BA/BSc graduates with BEd degrees and OSSTET qualification, alleged that the decision to engage retired teachers ignores qualified candidates like them, some of whom are now over-aged for public employment due to delay in recruitment.
Taking note of the submissions of the counsel for the petitioners and state counsel, Justice Shripad directed the director of Secondary Education to submit, within two weeks the total number of vacancies in all teaching institutions across the state and the steps being taken to fill these vacancies. The matter has been posted for next hearing on October 13.
Counsel for the petitioners, SK Das submitted, “Though the vacancy position is very huge, no effective steps are being taken for filling the same on a normative recruitment basis and that is affecting the prospective of the youths, who are otherwise eligible and qualified to be in the recruitment fray.”
He contended that many guest teachers don’t possess required qualifications and such appointments would “not serve justice to the community of the taught.”
Additional government advocate Dayanidhi Lenka stated steps were being taken on war footing for regular recruitment. He, however, admitted difficulty in providing exact data about statewide vacancies and sought time to submit an action plan.