The Delhi High Court has stayed the process of regularising all guest teachers appointed since 2010 in Delhi government schools, till October 11.

Justice A K Chawla directed the Delhi government to maintain status quo with regard to fresh appointment and promotion of guest teachers as regulars in its schools, after it was informed that the authorities have not complied with the high court’s 2001 order.

The Delhi government had recently decided to regularise all guest teachers appointed since 2010 and a bill in this regard is slated to be tabled before the Delhi Legislative Assembly on October 4, the court noted.

“Here, it is worth noting that … the order passed by a division bench of this court in 2001 is yet to implemented, as per the affidavit (of Delhi government)….

“Keeping in view the totality of the facts and circumstances, it is therefore directed that till the adjourned date, the respondents (Delhi government) and all others concerned shall maintain status quo and shall not either appoint or promote the guest teachers, who have been appointed from the year 2010 onwards,” the court said.

The division bench in its 2001 order had asked the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) to ensure zero vacancy of teachers in schools on the commencement of each academic year.

The court passed the interim order during the hearing of a contempt plea by NGO Social Jurist, represented through advocate Ashok Aggarwal, seeking a stay on the order of the DSSSB withdrawing a notice on appointment of 8,914 school teachers.

The Delhi government had introduced the DSSSB with the purpose of recruiting capable, competent and highly-skilled individuals by conducting written tests, professional tests and personal interviews.

The NGO has claimed that “unfortunately, the directions have never been complied with, resulting in accumulation of vacancies of teaching posts since 2011. No attempt has been made by the DSSSB for last several years to fill up the posts and provide regular teachers.”

The plea said after a high court order of April 11, the DSSSB issued vacancy notice on August 7 inviting applications from candidates for 8,914 teaching posts in the Directorate of Education of the Delhi government and for 5,906 teaching posts in the three municipal corporation schools here.

It alleged that the DSSSB, without informing or seeking permission from the court, had on August 24 “abruptly withdrawn the advertisement” regarding these vacancies.

“The respondents have been deliberately and for some political motives delaying recruitment of regular teachers to the detriment of the interest of as many as 23 lakh students studying in schools run by the Government of Delhi and three municipal corporations,” the plea has said.