Supreme Court stays HC verdict asking UP govt to prepare fresh selection list of 69K assistant teachers

The top court also stayed the HC verdict setting aside the selection lists of assistant teachers issued by the state authorities in June 2020 and January 2022, which included 6,800 candidates.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Allahabad High Court's order, directing the Uttar Pradesh government to prepare a fresh selection list for the appointment of 69,000 assistant teachers for primary schools.

A bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra kept on abeyance the High Court order, which set aside the selection lists of assistant teachers issued by concerned state authorities in June, 2020 and January, 2022.

The court passed its order after hearing senior advocates Rakesh Dwivedi, Ranjit Kumar, Gopal Sankaranarayanan and others in a plea by Ravi Kumar Saxena and 51 others against the High Court order. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati represented the Uttar Pradesh government.

The court also issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and others including the secretary of the UP Basic Education Board. 

The bench said it will accord a final hearing in the matter and it will fix the plea for hearing in the week commencing September 23. 

The bench asked the counsel for the parties involved to file short written notes not exceeding seven pages.

In August, the High Court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to prepare a fresh selection list for the appointment of 69,000 assistant teachers in the state.

The High Court's division bench had issued the order while disposing of 90 appeals filed by Mahendra Pal and others challenging a single-judge order of March 13, 2023. The High Court had directed the Uttar Pradesh government and concerned authorities to complete the process of issuing a new selection list within three months.