The long-standing issue of promotions for LT teachers to lecturer posts and for lecturers to principal-level positions in Uttarakhand remains unresolved. The Uttarakhand High Court has scheduled the next hearing on this matter for July 3. Over 3,000 pending promotions are currently entangled in legal complexities between the state government and various teacher groups.
The dispute traces back to a 2008 High Court decision in the Bhuvan Kandpal case, where the court directed the regularization of ad-hoc teachers from October 1, 1990, under a 1995 government order. The state challenged this verdict through a special appeal in the High Court and then a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court—both of which were dismissed.
Subsequently, some LT and lecturer-level teachers filed petitions seeking similar seniority benefits based on the Kandpal ruling. In 2019, a division bench of the High Court, led by the Chief Justice, ruled in their favor, instructing the state to consider their cases for regularization and seniority benefits. While the state initially accepted this ruling, it later reversed its decision.
Affected teachers challenged the withdrawal, leading to the matter being transferred to the Uttarakhand Public Service Tribunal. The tribunal upheld the High Court’s ruling and directed the state to issue a seniority list within three months. However, this order too was challenged by the state and directly recruited teachers, including petitioner Prema Baudai, who argued that ad-hoc service should not be counted for seniority.
On Tuesday, a division bench comprising Chief Justice G.S. Nareendra and Justice Alok Mehra heard over 50 related petitions and deferred the hearing to July 3.
