Withdraw rule for “Harsh” action against protesting teachers, Teachers association writes to Bihar CM

Bihar has made a new rule, state school teachers (appointment, transfer, disciplinary action, and service condition) rules under which all new recruitment will be conducted by BPSC.

Aam Aadmi Party-affiliated teachers association has urged Bihar Chief Minister to demand regularisation of the contractual school teachers and take back Education Department's dictate regarding dealing harshly with protesting teachers. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was in Delhi to hold a meeting with opposition leaders, including Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Dr Aditya Narayan Misra National Incharge, Academics for Action & Development Delhi Teachers Association (AADTA) and Delhi University EC Members Seema Das and Rajpal Singh Pawar have written to Bihar CM for regularisation of the contractual school teachers on the pattern of AAP's Punjab model and taking back Education Department's letter which has instructed officials to deal harshly with teachers who propose to organise protests and demonstrations against the new Bihar state school teachers (appointment, transfer, disciplinary action, and service condition) rules.

As per the new rule, all new recruitment will be conducted by BPSC.

Sharing its concern, AADTA writes: "We are astounded to learn that right to protest is being threatened under your leadership in Bihar. The most recent instance is the one in which the Education Department, Bihar government has instructed officials to deal harshly with teachers who propose to organise protests and demonstrations against the new Bihar state school teachers (appointment, transfer, disciplinary action, and service condition) rules, Niymawali 2023.”

The association has stated that it is highly disadvantageous to thousands of contractual school teachers and infringement on their right of becoming permanent employees (Rajkarmi) after years of their contributions to the state's school education.

“Those teachers are qualified and recruited by the local self-government institutions as per the rules laid down by the government itself. Now forcing them to face open competition to get the status of Rajkarmi - govt employees is like throwing them into unequal competition in which there is no value of their experiences and contribution to school academics and extra-academic works like the election duties, the census, the administrative works in district administration, etc,” it writes to Kumar.

Recently, the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP Government of Punjab has regularised thousands of contractual government employees including school teachers.

The association further writes: “We request you to make these Lakhs of school teachers permanent government employees (Rajkarmi) on a similar pattern. This will also help in improving the quality of the school education by making them permanent stakeholders. The teachers and their association are entitled to peacefully protest against any law/rule/ government policy in a democratic manner. The constitution of India and its democratic ethos are completely disregarded in this letter signed by the Additional Chief Secretary (Education). We request you to take the above-mentioned letter back and heed the legitimate demands of the Bihar Secondary School Teachers' Association and other teachers' bodies of the primary teachers.”

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