Tripura High Court Directs Tripura Government to Fill 1,116 Vacant PG Teacher Posts
Agartala, September 11, 2026: The Tripura High Court has directed the State Government to forthwith commence the recruitment process for 1,116 vacant Post-Graduate Teacher (PGT) posts, holding that teaching posts do not lapse merely because the incumbent retires, resigns, dies or is terminated from service.
The order was passed by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice Biswajit Palit on September 9, 2026, in WP(C)(PIL) No. 04 of 2026, Court on its own motion v. The Union of India & Others. The proceedings arose from concerns regarding vacancies in teaching posts and the delay in recruitment in government schools across Tripura.
Court Questions Need to Re-create Existing Posts
The Court considered an additional affidavit filed by the Under Secretary, School Education Department, Government of Tripura. According to the affidavit, 1,116 PG Teacher posts in various subjects had fallen vacant due to death, retirement, resignation and termination of services, and the Department had initiated a process for re-creation of those posts.
The Division Bench questioned the necessity of such a process. The Court observed that it failed to understand how posts could lapse merely because the incumbent had retired, resigned, died or had been terminated. According to the Court, the exercise of re-creating such posts was wholly unnecessary, since the posts themselves do not cease to exist merely because the incumbent is no longer in service.
Consequently, the High Court directed the State Government to commence recruitment for all 1,116 vacant PG Teacher posts forthwith.
High Court Also Questions Delay in Filling Graduate Teacher Vacancies
The Court also considered the position regarding Graduate Teacher posts. The State informed the Court that a requisition had been made to the Teachers’ Recruitment Board, Tripura, on July 5, 2022, for recommendation of candidates against 230 Graduate Teacher vacancies, although 2,193 Graduate Teacher posts had fallen vacant due to retirement, resignation, death or termination.
The Bench questioned why only a small fraction of the total vacancies was being considered for recruitment. The Court observed that it was the duty of the respondents to fill all the vacant posts and not merely a small number of them.
The State had referred to a pending Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court concerning the application of reservation rules to the 230 Graduate Teacher vacancies. The High Court, however, noted that there was no stay order from the Supreme Court restraining the filling up of those posts.
Recruitment Can Proceed Subject to Supreme Court Outcome
Considering the need for teachers in schools and the fact that the academic year had already substantially progressed, the High Court directed the State to take a decision by the next date of hearing regarding appointment to the Graduate Teacher posts.
The Court permitted the State to proceed subject to the result of the pending SLP, so that students do not suffer because of the continuing shortage of teachers.
700 Newly Created Graduate Teacher Posts Also Under Court’s Scrutiny
The High Court was further informed that the Department had created 700 new Graduate Teacher posts and had sent a requisition to the Teachers’ Recruitment Board, Tripura, on August 5, 2025.
Although the Teachers’ Recruitment Board had conducted the selection test on February 14, 2026, no further progress had taken place. Taking note of the delay, the Court impleaded the Chairman, Teachers’ Recruitment Board, Tripura, as a respondent in the PIL.
The Board was directed to complete the process of filling up the 700 Graduate Teacher posts at the earliest and submit an affidavit detailing the steps taken before the next date of hearing.
Directions Regarding Headmasters and Assistant Headmasters
The Court also addressed vacancies in supervisory positions in government schools. It noted that there were 162 vacant posts of Headmasters and 100 vacant posts of Assistant Headmasters in Higher Secondary Schools, apart from 304 vacant Headmaster posts in High Schools.
The respondents were directed to fill these vacancies in accordance with the applicable recruitment rules and place an affidavit before the Court explaining the action taken pursuant to the Court’s directions.
Matter Listed for September 21
The proceedings will continue before the High Court. The matter has been directed to be listed along with WP(C)(PIL) No. 09 of 2026 on September 21, 2026.
The order is significant because the High Court has taken a broad view of the State’s obligation to address long-standing vacancies in the school education system and has specifically directed recruitment against existing vacancies rather than allowing administrative delays relating to re-creation of posts to continue.
Case: Court on its own motion v. The Union of India & Others
Case No.: WP(C)(PIL) No. 04 of 2026
Order Date: September 9, 2026
Bench: Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice Biswajit Palit
