The Supreme Court on Thursday said that school teachers cannot be deployed on election duty such as electoral roll revision or polling booth duty during the teaching days, at the cost of studies of the students.

While upholding a judgement of the Delhi High Court, a bench of Justices S B Sinha and H S Bedi said, “We therefore, direct that all teaching staff shall be put on the duty of roll revisions and election works on holidays and non-teaching days.”

“Teachers should not ordinarily be put on duty on teaching days and within teaching hours. Non-teaching staff, however, may be put on such duties on lay day or any time, if permissible in law,” said the 24-page judgement.