SC Adjourns Challenge To Inclusion Of B.Ed Candidates In Appearing For Assistant Teachers Exam

A Bench comprising of Justices UU Lalit, MM Shantanagoudar and Vineet Saran have further directed the Petitioners to file the Writ Petition which is pending before the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad HC as an Annexure to the instant plea before the Apex Court.

The plea, filed by a group of Basic Teacher Certificate (BTC) trained candidates, challenges the June 28, 2018 notification of the Uttar Pradesh Assistant Teachers Examination for 69,000 posts. It is further submitted that the B.Ed candidates have failed to complete the mandatory six months bridge course which is required to qualify for the post of an Assistant Teacher and, therefore, can only be inducted as a trainee teacher.

The matter, therefore, revolves around the challenge to an amendment instituted by the Uttar Pradesh State Government in January 2019, giving retrospective effect to the inclusion of candidates with a Bachelor of Education degree in the examination, despite the National Teachers Congress not considering them to be qualified enough for an Assistant Teacher's post.

The Petitioners have thus challenged the Order rendered by a Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court which is in favour of the B.Ed candidates. This HC Order has also allowed to de-tag the plea which challenges the legal validity of the State Government's amendment which allows for the retrospective inclusion of the B.Ed candidates.

The matter is now listed on July 13 before the Supreme Court.