Himachal Pradesh Unveils Five-Year Teacher Engagement Policy
Struggling under a severe financial crisis, the Himachal Pradesh government has formulated a special policy to engage English and mathematics teachers in government schools for a fixed five-year period. These educators will receive a monthly honorarium of Rs 30,000, payable only for ten months during each academic year.
Recruitment Through Competitive Examination
The selection process will be conducted through the Rajya Chayan Aayog or other designated recruitment agencies via an open competitive examination. A merit-based counselling system will determine placements. Importantly, these teachers will not be considered government employees in any official capacity.
Financial Context: Mounting Debt Burden
This initiative comes as Himachal Pradesh's overall debt burden has crossed Rs 1.03 lakh crore in the current fiscal year. The state has suffered a significant blow with the central government's discontinuation of the revenue deficit grant (RDG), based on recommendations from the 16th Finance Commission.
Policy Rationale: Addressing Efficiency Concerns
The new policy, notified on Thursday, includes a critical observation: "It has been noted in the public sector that when appointments are made on a regular basis, efficiency and professional ethics tend to decline, causing loss to the education system." This statement underscores the government's rationale for the fixed-term engagement model.
Learning from Past Recruitment Failures
The government acknowledged that previous teacher recruitment models—including those through parent-teacher associations, school management committees, and sub-division levels—failed to attract talented professionals. Consequently, these mechanisms were discontinued to make way for the new system, which is specifically designed to function "while staying within the state's financial resources."
Higher Qualifications Than Standard Roles
Officials maintain that the scheme aims to engage teachers with higher educational qualifications than those prescribed for Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) and Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) positions under existing recruitment and promotion rules. These teachers will not be appointed against sanctioned TGT or PGT posts but will serve exclusively under this special sub-scheme.
Detailed Eligibility Criteria
The policy specifies comprehensive eligibility requirements:
- Applicants must be between 25 and 45 years of age on the last date of application.
- Candidates must hold a master's degree in English or mathematics with at least 50% marks in graduation, along with a BEd degree.
- English or mathematics must have been a compulsory subject in their BEd, BA-BEd, or BSc-BEd programmes.
- General category candidates must obtain 55% marks in the relevant subject at the graduation level.
- Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes candidates are eligible with 45% overall marks and 50% in the subject concerned.
Reservation and Service Conditions
The state's reservation policy, encompassing both horizontal and vertical categories, will apply to these appointments. Teachers engaged under this scheme cannot claim regularisation of their positions. Additionally, they may serve as substitute teachers during leave periods or against vacant posts, as specified in the notification.
This strategic move represents Himachal Pradesh's attempt to balance educational needs with fiscal constraints, creating a new pathway for qualified professionals to contribute to government schools without adding permanent liabilities to the state's strained finances.
