Lucknow: A new merit list will soon be prepared on the orders of the High Court to remove the anomalies in reservation in the recruitment of 69 thousand teachers in council schools. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has given clear instructions to the officials of the Basic Education Department that action should be taken in this regard as per the observation of the Supreme Court and the decision of the Lucknow Bench of the High Court.

In a high level meeting, Yogi told the departmental officers that there should be no injustice with any candidate. The government clearly believes that the reserved category candidates should get the benefit of reservation facility.

Documents placed before CM Yogi 

After the High Court's decision on the petition filed in the matter of irregularities in reservation for 19 thousand posts in teacher recruitment came out on Friday, the Yogi government started brainstorming on it. Despite Saturday and Sunday being holidays, the offices of the Basic Education Department were opened. The Directorate General of School Education, Basic Education Secretary and Principal Secretary presented the documents related to the case before the Chief Minister on Sunday.

In a meeting called by the Chief Minister late in the evening at the government residence at 5 Kalidas Marg, it was decided that the government will not challenge the decision of the High Court in the Supreme Court. As per the decision of the double bench of the High Court, the merit list will be prepared soon. Instructions were also given in the meeting that no injustice should be done to any candidate and all the cases related to recruitment should be resolved properly in one go. The Yogi government has tried to prove the allegations of the opposition parties of snatching the rights of the reserved category candidates baseless with this decision. The government is also in favor of implementing whatever decisions the Supreme Court has regarding the recruitment process.

It is worth noting that the candidates had gone to the Supreme Court regarding the wrong answers of two-three questions. On this, on 22 November 2022, the Supreme Court had said that the candidates whose selection is being stopped by one mark or who have not been able to get selected by one mark, should be given the benefit by taking a representation. Online representations were taken from about 3,150 such candidates and out of that, the representations of about 1,650 were found correct in the investigation. But this matter was also pending due to the matter related to reservation being pending in the High Court.

At the same time, some candidates wrote the roll number correctly on the OMR sheet in the exam, but wrote the registration number wrongly. In this regard, there is also a plan to give benefits to the concerned candidates who have filed a petition in the Supreme Court. It is known that on December 5, 2018, an advertisement was issued for the recruitment of 69 thousand teachers. After the written examination, when the result was declared on June 1, 2020, the candidates started protesting against the reservation irregularities.

This is how reservation irregularities came to light

When the result was declared on June 1, 2020, the cutoff for the unreserved category was 67.11 marks, the cutoff for the OBC category was 66.73 marks and the cutoff for SC category candidates was 61.01 marks. Due to the slight difference in the cutoff of the unreserved category and OBC category candidates, the candidates examined the merit list and alleged that the Basic Education Rules of 1981 and the Reservation Rules of 1994 have been violated. The OBC and SC category candidates have not been given the full benefit of reservation and they went to court regarding this.

On December 5, 2018, an advertisement was issued for 69 thousand teachers in council schools.

The written examination was held on January 5, 2019.

The result of the Assistant Teacher written exam was declared on June 1, 2020. In the result, the cut-off for the unreserved category was 67.11 marks and for OBC it was 66.73 marks. Candidates alleged that OBC and SC category candidates were not given the full benefit of reservation.

The candidates went to the National Backward Classes Commission and on April 29, 2021, the Commission admitted that there had been reservation irregularities in the recruitment.

Candidates were reporting reservation irregularities in 19,000 posts and the government issued a revised list of 6,800.

On March 13, 2023, the court cancelled this list.

On 17th April 2023, the government went to the double bench against the decision of the single bench.

On March 19, 2024, the double bench of the High Court had reserved the decision on this and now it has been decided that a fresh merit list should be prepared.