Taking a big decision, the UP government has told the top court that 67867 teachers recruited in 2020 will not lose their jobs. If some new candidates are found eligible in the new merit list as per the order of Allahabad High Court, then they will be appointed to the vacant posts.
Yogi government of UP has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on Monday in the matter of recruitment of 69000 assistant teachers. Taking a big decision, the UP government has told the top court that 67867 teachers recruited in 2020 will not lose their jobs. If some new candidates are found eligible in the new merit list as per the order of Allahabad High Court, then they will be appointed to the vacant posts. In the affidavit filed before the bench of Justice Dipankar Dutta and Sheel Nagu, the government said that this exercise will be limited to the appointment of only 69 thousand teachers. No benefit will be given in any future recruitment. The government has also presented in the apex court a revised list of 8,270 candidates who are no longer in service.
Details of recruitment process
The state government said that after the order on May 19, the competent authorities of the state completed several detailed processes including re-preparation of the merit list as per the decision of the High Court dated August 13, 2024. In the present proceedings, an affidavit has been filed on July 20, in which the process has been completed to include other people who have found place in the revised merit list, without removing the people already appointed, the affidavit said. The affidavit said this is subject to the condition that there are existing vacancies, candidates meet the minimum qualifications and the process should not be used as a precedent in future cases. Giving this information to the Supreme Court, the Uttar Pradesh government said that whatever order of the court will be followed. Now this matter will be heard on Tuesday.
what is the whole matter
– UP government issued notification for recruitment of 69 thousand teachers on 1 December 2018.
– The examination was conducted on 6 January 2019.
The cutoff was fixed the next day, in which it was kept at 65 percent for general category and 60 percent for reserved category.
The matter reached the High Court and then the Supreme Court on 18 November 2020, where the apex court upheld the cut-off decision of the government.
– In June 2020, the government released the first selection list of 67 thousand 867 candidates and appointed them in schools (1133 posts of ST category remained vacant due to non-availability of eligible candidates).
Why did the controversy happen?
There were two important reasons for the controversy. Those meritorious candidates from the reserved category (SC/ST/OBC) who secured a place in the unreserved category by scoring more than the general cutoff, alleged that they did not get the right place on the unreserved seats.
On the other hand, it was argued that the reserved candidates who have availed the benefit of 5% marks relaxation in TET or ATRE examination should not be migrated to the general category. Meanwhile, on January 5, 2022, a list of 6800 additional candidates was released, which was stayed by the High Court.
On March 13, 2023, the Single Bench said that reserved candidates scoring between 60 percent and 65 percent marks will not get the benefit of general migration.
– On August 13, 2024, the Division Bench of the High Court canceled the decision of the Single Bench. Division Bench said- New merit list should be prepared for 69 thousand posts. Reserve category candidates who come in general merit should be counted in general category only. After this horizontal reservation should be implemented. Horizontal reservation is a system of giving opportunities to special categories like women, disabled, ex-servicemen, transgenders within every caste.
Supreme Court had stopped the new merit list
Many candidates reached the Supreme Court against this decision of the High Court. On September 9, 2024, the Supreme Court put an interim stay on the process of making a new merit list.
The government told the court that following the instructions of the Supreme Court, the revised merit list has been prepared as per the decision of the High Court dated 13 August 2024.
