Regularise teachers, SC tells Bihar

Ending nearly 20 years of uncertainty over the appointment of thousands of teaching and non-teaching staff in 40 colleges across Bihar and Jharkhand, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered their absorption as regular employees.

Accepting the report of the Justice S.C. Agrawal Committee on the issue, a bench comprising Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Justice D.M. Dharmadhikari said that the concerned 12 universities would absorb those teaching and non-teaching staff whose appointment had been recommended before the applicable cut-off date and to a properly notified vacancy or post.

Uncertainty loomed over the fate of nearly 4,000 teaching and 3,000 non-teaching staff after the Bihar government, wanting to take over 40 colleges affiliated to 12 universities, questioned their appointment before the Patna High Court. After states reorganisation, eight of the universities are now in Bihar and four in Jharkhand. The High Court had directed absorption of all the staff saying that it was the prerogative of the universities under the Bihar State Universities Act to recommend appointments.