Supreme Court Ruling Leads To Cancellation Of 289 B.Ed.-Qualified Primary Teacher Appointments In Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The appointments of 289 primary teachers in Madhya Pradesh who hold a B.Ed. degree are set to be cancelled following a Supreme Court order. The Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) has issued directives to the District Education Officers (DEO) in compliance with this order.

The Supreme Court, in its ruling on August 11, 2023, nullified the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) notification dated June 28, 2018, which had previously recognized B.Ed. as a valid qualification for primary teachers. As a result of this decision, candidates with a B.Ed. degree are no longer eligible for primary teacher positions.

The High Court in Jabalpur had also ruled on May 3, 2024, that only those B.Ed.-qualified primary teachers appointed before August 11, 2023, would be considered valid. Therefore, any primary teacher appointed with a B.Ed. qualification after this date will not be recognized.

Under the Primary Teacher Recruitment-2020, approximately 18,000 primary teacher positions were filled. However, appointments made based on a B.Ed. degree before August 10, 2023, will remain valid.

The order from the department also states that if a candidate’s qualification was mistakenly recorded as D.Ed instead of B.Ed, their appointment must also be canceled in accordance with the SC’s decision.

The DPI has instructed DEOs to review the professional qualifications of primary teachers based on district records and immediately cancel the appointments of those holding a B.Ed. degree. A specific format has been provided for this process. Additionally, any B.Ed.-qualified primary teacher appointed on or after August 11, 2023, must have their appointment immediately revoked.

The DPI has issued orders to DEOs in 25 districts, including Agar Malwa, Alirajpur, Ashoknagar, Chhatarpur, Damoh, Dindori, Guna, Katni, Khandwa, Mandsaur, Morena, Narsinghpur, Neemuch, Niwari, Panna, Raisen, Ratlam, Sagar, Sheopur, Shivpuri, Sidhi, Singrauli, Tikamgarh, Ujjain, and Vidisha.