'None Will Lose Job': UP CM Adityanath Addresses Concerns over HC Order on 69,000 Teacher Recruitment Case

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the Basic Education Department to proceed according to the Allahabad High Court’s order asking the state government to prepare a new merit list to appoint 69,000 assistant teachers within three months. During a meeting with officials on Sunday, Adityanath said that the state government firmly believed that the benefit of reservation should be extended to all reserved category candidates, ensuring that no candidate faced injustice.

The chief minister was briefed by the Basic Education Department on all aspects of the court’s decision regarding the recruitment of 69,000 assistant teachers, according to an official statement. The court’s decision had caused anxiety among teachers from the general and OBC categories who are currently employed.

However, the CM assured that the new merit list will respect reservation policies and that no teacher will lose their job as a result. He also emphasised that all eligible candidates from reserved categories will benefit from constitutional reservation provisions, and directed officials to devise a solution to safeguard the interests of current teachers.

The government also decided against appealing the High Court’s decision to the Supreme Court. According to reports, approximately 5,000 teachers might be adversely affected by the new merit list. In light of this, CM Adityanath instructed officials to collaborate with the Advocate General to prepare a new merit list and to develop a proposal to address the concerns of affected teachers.

The high court’s ruling, which mandates the cancellation of the old merit list and the preparation of a new one, has prompted the Basic Education Department and government officials to thoroughly examine the implications of the order.

In the recent ruling, a bench of the Allahabad High Court comprising Justice AR Masoodi and Justice Brijraj Singh set aside the selection lists issued in June 2020 and January 2022, which included 6,800 candidates of the reserved categories.

The bench also revised the earlier order and said the reserved category candidates who qualify for the general category merit list should be migrated to that category. In addition, the benefit of vertical reservation should also be extended to horizontal reservation categories, PTI reported the court’s statement as saying.