HS Grade -I Teacher-2023 Recruitment: 'It’s Govt Not Us That Stalled Recruitments', Says MP High Court

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh High Court has said that it never stayed the recruitment process of the higher secondary (HS) Grade 1 teachers, and now appointment letters can be issued to the selected teachers from the 2023 Grade 1 recruitment. It is government which itself stalled the recruitment process, HC said, adding, “EWS reservation which was introduced in 2019, should not be retrospective for 2018 recruitment.”

Previously, the issuance of appointment letters for the 2023 recruitment was halted due to a case involving EWS candidates from the 2018 Grade 1 recruitment. Now, that stay has been lifted. In 2018, the school education department conducted exams for the recruitment of higher secondary (Grade 1) teachers.

However, on September 29, 2022, the recruitment process was stopped, stating that it was a new recruitment, and appointments for 848 EWS candidates were withheld. The recruitment was based on the 2018 exam results. The EWS candidates challenged this decision in multiple benches of the high court. A single bench ruled in favor of the EWS candidates, ordering that 848 of them should be appointed within 45 days while halting any new recruitment.

The education department challenged this in a double bench, which continued the stay on new recruitments. However, on October 15, during a hearing, the double bench chaired by the Chief Justice lifted the stay on issuing appointment letters.  

Dept can go ahead with promotion

The School Education Department has been conducting the first round of counselling for the recruitment. Candidates have been demanding promotions for a long time. However, due to the stay, the appointment letters for 4,000 selected teachers were delayed, making any plans for promotions pointless. With the stay now lifted, promotions for waiting candidates could be possible in the second round of counseling.