Haryana Guest Teachers Service Bill 2019 Passed; 14000 Guest Teachers Get Similar Status As Permanent Faculty

Guest teachers are full of the joys of spring after a promise they were given years ago by then Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma got fulfilled. On Wednesday, Haryana Government has passed the “Haryana Guest Teachers Service Bill 2019“. As per the bill, the guest teachers appointed at various Government schools will get equal status as of a permanent teacher. After the much awaited bill got passed, about 14,000 teachers have got regulation in their services.

What exactly are the guest teachers getting now? The teachers who got placed years back through backdoor entry have got A) a status equal to the permanent teacher, B) Service conditions similar to the permanent teachers. C) Termination criteria revised D) Increase in salary package, E) Retirement criteria similar as the permanent teachers.

The guest teachers have now got the service conditions similar to the permanent teachers by getting equal rights. As per the bill, the guest teachers will now get retirement at the age as prescribed for the regular teachers.

The Termination of Guest Teachers will now be a legal process. Now the services of these teachers can only be terminated if a legal procedure is followed for the termination of services of a regular teacher.

The guest teachers, paid earlier on lecture basis will now receive increased wages. Looking back, the wages were earlier increased by 25% in September 2018 – from Rs 26,000 to Rs 36,000. The JBT and drawing teachers used to get Rs 21715 and now their salary is Rs 26,000 per month. Similarly the TGT teachers who were getting Rs 24,001 will now get Rs 30,000. And likewise, the salary of PGT and Lecturer has also been increased from Rs 29,715 to Rs 36,000.

There was a much need of the regularization of the services of the teachers since the various courts ordered the state government for removal of the Backdoor entrants.

‘Backdoor entrants’ What is the History behind this name?

The Guest teachers are termed as the ‘Backdoor entrants’ since back in 2006-2007, about 15000 teachers were recruited in the Government colleges on the positions of Junior Basic Training (JBT) and Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) without an advertisement. The recruitment of these teachers was solely on the basis of discretion of head of the concerned school.

The reason behind the courts ordering for removal of the teachers was the case filed by the TET qualifies teachers after the recruitment. The process was challenged by various teachers before the Punjab & Haryana High Court. In 2009, the HC had taken the side of the permanent teachers, due to which, the guest teachers marched towards the Supreme Court. However, they did not receive what they expected – The SC decided the same; however, a supporting decision was taken that the guest teachers can work until a new appointment is made.