Tripura High Court Orders Immediate Recruitment to 1,116 PG Teacher Posts, Questions Filling of Only 230 Out of 2,193 Graduate Teacher Vacancies
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, September 11, 2026
The Tripura High Court has taken a strong view of the continuing shortage of teachers in government schools, directing the State Government to immediately commence recruitment against 1,116 vacant Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) posts and questioning why recruitment was initiated for only 230 of the 2,193 vacant Graduate Teacher posts.
The directions were issued on September 9, 2026, by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice Biswajit Palit in the suo motu Public Interest Litigation, WP(C)(PIL) No. 04 of 2026, “Court on its own motion versus the Union of India & others.”
The Court was considering an additional affidavit submitted by the Under Secretary, Government of Tripura, School Education Department. According to the affidavit, 1,116 PGT posts in different subjects had become vacant because of retirement, death, resignation and termination of services, and the Department had initiated a process to re-create those posts.
The Division Bench strongly questioned that approach. It held that government posts do not automatically lapse merely because the incumbent retires, dies, resigns or is terminated.
The Court therefore directed the State Government to commence the recruitment process for all 1,116 vacant PGT posts forthwith, observing that the exercise of re-creating those posts was unnecessary.
The Court also examined the situation concerning Graduate Teachers.
The State informed the Court that a requisition had been sent to the Teachers’ Recruitment Board, Tripura (TRBT) on July 5, 2022, seeking recommendations for 230 eligible candidates. However, the Department's affidavit acknowledged that there were 2,193 Graduate Teacher posts lying vacant due to retirement, resignation, death or termination.
The Bench questioned why recruitment was being pursued for only a small fraction of the total vacancies.
The Court categorically observed that it is the duty of the respondents to fill all such vacant posts, rather than limiting the process to only 230 vacancies.
The State had also pointed out that a Special Leave Petition (SLP) is pending before the Supreme Court concerning the application of reservation rules to the recruitment against the 230 Graduate Teacher vacancies. The issue arises from directions issued by the Tripura High Court on December 19, 2022, in WP(C) No. 736 of 2022, which were subsequently challenged before the Supreme Court.
However, the Division Bench noted that there was no stay order from the Supreme Court restraining the authorities from filling the posts during the pendency of the SLP.
Taking into account the interests of schoolchildren and the fact that the academic year had already substantially progressed, the High Court directed the respondents to take a decision by the next date of hearing regarding appointment against the 230 Graduate Teacher posts, subject to the outcome of the pending SLP.
The Court was further informed that the State Education Department had created 700 new Graduate Teacher posts and had sent a requisition to TRBT on August 5, 2025.
TRBT had subsequently conducted the selection test on February 14, 2026, but, according to the Court record, no further action had taken place thereafter.
Taking note of the delay, the Bench suo motu impleaded the Chairman of the Teachers’ Recruitment Board, Tripura, as Respondent No. 5 in the PIL.
The TRBT Chairman/Board has been directed to complete the recruitment process for all 700 posts at the earliest and submit an affidavit detailing the steps taken by the next date of hearing.
The Court's directions extend beyond PGT and Graduate Teacher recruitment.
According to the order, there are:
162 vacant Headmaster posts in Higher Secondary Schools
100 vacant Assistant Headmaster posts in Higher Secondary Schools
304 vacant Headmaster posts in High Schools
The respondents have been directed to fill all these vacancies in accordance with the applicable recruitment rules and file an affidavit explaining the action taken pursuant to the Court's direction by the next hearing.
The suo motu PIL was initiated after the High Court took note of media reports concerning the shortage of teachers in government schools and the alleged suspension of recruitment to posts such as Headmaster/Headmistress and Inspector of Schools since 2018.
An earlier order dated July 2, 2026 records that the Court had sought a detailed affidavit from the State concerning teacher vacancies and the number of posts proposed to be filled or already filled.
The Court also referred to reports claiming that approximately 86% of around 4,668 government schools did not have a Headmaster or Headmistress, besides reports concerning the abolition of 118 Inspector of Schools posts and 288 Headmaster/Headmistress posts. The State was directed to respond to those reports as well.
The cause title of the September 9 order records the case as “Court on its own motion versus The Union of India & others”, with the matter registered as WP(C)(PIL) No. 04 of 2026. The order specifically records that the Chairman, Teachers’ Recruitment Board, Tripura, was subsequently impleaded suo motu as Respondent No. 5.
The lawyers appearing for the respondents were:
Mr. SM Chakraborti, Advocate General, Tripura
Mr. Bidyut Majumder, Deputy Solicitor General of India (Dy. SGI)
Mrs. Pinki Chakraborty, Advocate.
The order records no counsel for the suo motu petitioner, since the proceedings were initiated by the Court itself.
The High Court has directed the concerned authorities to report their compliance through affidavits. The matter has been directed to be listed along with WP(C)(PIL) No. 09 of 2026 on September 21, 2026.
more news...