Agartala, September 11: The Tripura High Court has directed the state government to expedite the recruitment process for vacant teaching posts in government schools, taking serious note of the prolonged shortage of teachers.
Hearing a suo motu public interest litigation on the issue, the court observed that posts do not lapse merely because of retirement, death, resignation or termination of an incumbent. It said there was no need to undertake a fresh process for creation of posts and directed the authorities to initiate recruitment against 1,116 vacant Post Graduate Teacher posts without delay.
The court also expressed concern over the large number of vacant Graduate Teacher posts. As per records placed before the court, 2,193 Graduate Teacher posts are lying vacant due to retirement, death, resignation and termination. However, requisition for recruitment had been sent to the Tripura Recruitment Board for Teachers (TRBT) for only 230 posts.
Questioning the decision, the court sought to know why recruitment was being initiated for only 230 posts when 2,193 positions were vacant.
The issue of reservation relating to the recruitment of the 230 Graduate Teachers is pending before the Supreme Court in a Special Leave Petition (SLP). The High Court, however, noted that there is no stay on filling up the posts in the pending case.
In view of the interests of students, the court directed the state to take a decision before the next hearing on whether the 230 posts could be filled, subject to the final outcome of the SLP.
The court also directed the authorities to complete the recruitment process for 700 Graduate Teacher posts created in 2025 at the earliest. The Chairman of the TRBT has been impleaded as the fifth respondent in the suo motu proceedings.
The TRBT Chairman and the state authorities have been directed to submit an affidavit before the next hearing detailing the steps taken to comply with the court’s directions.
The court also took up the issue of vacant administrative posts in government schools. Directions were issued to proceed with the filling up of 162 Headmaster posts, 100 Assistant Headmaster posts and 304 additional Headmaster posts in high schools.
The court’s directions are expected to accelerate the recruitment process and address the shortage of teachers and administrative personnel in government schools across the state.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on September 21, 2026.
