Around 700 undergraduate teachers from Tripura have filed a petition with the Supreme Court contesting their termination by the state government in 2017 and 2020.
The petitioners claim the termination orders are "unlawful and unconstitutional."
The dispute centres on a 2003 Employment Policy introduced by the Tripura government, which was subsequently declared "flawed in law" by the Tripura High Court in 2014. Over 10,000 teachers recruited under this policy, including the petitioners, lost their jobs following the High Court judgement.
The teachers argue their recruitment adhered to the regulations in place at the time, and therefore they should not be affected by the 2014 ruling. They further allege they were not informed of the High Court proceedings, suggesting a potential miscarriage of justice.
The petition levels a serious accusation of corruption against the Tripura government.
It alleges that the salaries of the terminated teachers are still being paid from state coffers but misappropriated by officials. The petition highlights an ongoing investigation into this alleged fraud by the Principal Accountant General (Addl.) of Tripura.
The teachers' dismissal has reportedly exacerbated the existing crisis in Tripura's school system, with a severe lack of qualified educators impacting students.
Advocates Amrit Lal Saha, TK Nayak, and Aaditya Mishra represent the petitioners in this case.
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