Kerala Moves to Regularise 20,000 Aided School Teachers Amid Legal Tussle

The Kerala government has announced a significant plan to regularise around 20,000 teachers working in aided schools. This decision, which is a subject of an ongoing Supreme Court hearing, aims to simplify the legal complexities involving reservations for individuals with disabilities and approvals for teacher appointments.

General Education Minister V Sivankutty addressed the media, highlighting that the Left Democratic Front's initiative is intended to resolve long-standing legal wrangles around reservations. The announcement follows recent protest actions by various aided school administrations, including Christian organizations, accusing the government of impeding general category appointments under the guise of court directives.

Sivankutty elucidated that previously a three per cent reservation existed under a 1996 law, but the new law mandates a four per cent quota. The retrospective application of this reservation since 1996 was ordered by a High Court single bench, which, according to the government, would negatively impact existing teachers. Hence, the state filed appeals. The decision has drawn political significance as it emerges in an election-bound phase for Kerala.