Allahabad HC orders statewide review of teacher appointments in UP

The Allahabad High Court has ordered a statewide verification of assistant teacher appointments in Uttar Pradesh after flagging widespread cases of jobs secured using forged certificates.

Directing the state government to act, the court asked the principal secretary of basic education to complete the scrutiny exercise preferably within six months.

It said appointments found to be illegal must be canceled, salaries recovered from those appointed on fake documents, and strict action taken against officials who facilitated or ignored the fraud.

The directions were issued while dismissing a writ petition filed by Garima Singh, who had challenged the cancellation of her appointment as an assistant teacher.

Justice Manju Rani Chauhan observed that despite multiple circulars and instructions issued by the state government, authorities tasked with safeguarding the education system had failed to act in a timely and effective manner.

“The inaction on the part of the authorities not only perpetuates fraud but also strikes at the very root of the education system, causing grave prejudice to the interest of students, which is of paramount and overriding consideration for this court,” Justice Chauhan said in the judgment dated Jan 22.

Singh had approached the court after the district basic education officer in Deoria canceled her appointment. The order was passed after it was found that she had used forged educational documents and a fake domicile certificate to obtain the job.

She was appointed as an assistant teacher in July 2010 after her documents were verified at the time of joining and continued in service for nearly 15 years without any complaint.

During the hearing, the state government’s counsel argued that when employment is obtained through fraudulent documents or suppression of facts, the beneficiary cannot seek protection or inquiry under the Uttar Pradesh Government Servant (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1999.

The court also directed the state to initiate stringent disciplinary and penal action against officials found to have colluded with, abetted, or deliberately overlooked such fraudulent appointments.