The government canceled the recruitment of 480 graduates of primary teachers

In 2022-2023, the state government has issued a notification for the recruitment of 15,000 GPTs for teaching in government schools from 6th to 8th standard. | Photo credit: File photo

Following the Supreme Court’s order, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) has withdrawn the recruitment of 480 Post-Graduate Primary (GPT) women from Other Backward Classes (OBCs) related to the 2022-2023 recruitment.

The order of the Commissioner of Public Instruction said that the recruitment orders for which counseling has already been done as well as the recruitment orders of the candidates who have already reported for service have been withdrawn pending further orders.

In 2022-2023, the state government issued a notification for the recruitment of 15,000 GPTs for teaching in government schools from 6th to 8th standard. It recruited 13,352 teachers through the competitive examination.

During this recruitment, OBC candidates were asked to submit their caste and income certificate along with their fathers’ income certificate.

Many OBC women candidates were single when they applied for recruitment and submitted their father’s caste and income certificate. However, after the end of the selection process and completion of shortlisting for recruitment, many OBC candidates got married at the time of document verification.

The department, which raised an objection during document verification, made it mandatory for married OBC candidates to submit their husband’s caste and income certificate and suspended counseling for a total of 480 candidates. The department has completed the recruitment of the remaining applicants.

However, the OBC candidates went to court against the DSEL procedure.

Delivering the final verdict in the case, the Supreme Court directed the case to be disposed of in the Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal (KSAT) and directed the court to do so within six months. The KSAT, which delivered its verdict on April 30, 2026, ruled in favor of 480 candidates whose recruitment counseling was suspended.

Based on this verdict, the ministry announced the final selection list of 480 applicants on May 16, 2026.

However, some candidates again approached the High Court against this final selection list, after which the department withdrew the appointment in compliance with the court, which ordered the status quo to be maintained.

“It is not clear at the government level that OBC women candidates should submit income certificates of fathers or husbands. As far as GPT recruitment for 2022-23 is concerned, 480 married OBC women candidates have lost time, money and services in the last three years through no fault of theirs. The women candidates have demanded that the government take appropriate action to resolve this case.

Ministry officials said further action would be taken as per the court order.

Published – 08 Jun 2026 21:13 IST