Over 6,000 teachers appointed in Delhi government schools due to LG's 'proactive approach': LG office

NEW DELHI: Over 6,000 teachers have been appointed in schools run by the Delhi government in the last four months due to the "proactive approach" of Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena, his office said on Tuesday.

The Lieutenant Governor's office in a statement also said that another 2,200 appointments will be done by March. "Under nudge from LG (lieutenant governor), 6,112 new teachers appointed in Delhi government schools in just four months – another 2,200 will be appointed by March," Saxena's office claimed in the statement.

Also Read | Delhi Deputy CM Sisodia writes to LG, seeks approval of proposal to send teachers to Finland for training

There was no immediate response from the Arvind Kejriwal government to the claims. "Non-requisition on part of the education department to the DSSSB (Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board) had led to huge vacancies amounting to 24,003 teachers," the statement said.

"The proactive approach and constant nudging from Lt Governor VK Saxena has resulted in filling up the vacancies of teachers, principals, vice principals in Delhi government schools at an unprecedented pace during the last four months," his office claimed in the statement. Since September 16 last year, when the LG first reviewed the status of vacancies in the education department, a "whopping 6,112 vacant posts of teachers have been filled by the DSSB through regular recruitment", it said.

The statement said that another 2,200 vacancies of teachers in the schools will be filled by March. Saxena has since then chaired three meetings of officers and the DSSSB to ensure regular monitoring of the progress made, his office said. The statement said that according to data provided by the DSSSB, at a review meeting chaired by the LG, the total vacancies of teaching staff in Delhi government schools that stood at "a massive 24,003 on September 16 last year, has come down to 17,891".

Also Read | Delhi school education system had leakages in its foundation: Manish Sisodia

"In the process, the number of guest teachers has proportionately come down by 3,094. As on 16.09.2022, the number of guest teachers stood at 19,880 while the same has been reduced to 16,786 as on 31.01.2023," the LG office said. During the review meeting, officials informed the LG that the requisition for filling 543 vacant posts of principals -- 363 through direct recruitment and 180 through promotion -- has been sent to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the interviews are likely to be completed by March 2023, the statement said.

Similarly, a requisition has been sent for filling up 131 posts of vice principals through direct recruitment to the UPSC, it said. The LG office alleged that the present "grim state of affairs in Delhi government schools, with vacancies skyrocketing, resulted because of the fact that requisition for regular recruitment of teachers was not made during the last seven years of the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government".

The recruitment for the posts of principals and vice principals in Delhi government schools is made by the UPSC while the recruitment of other teaching staff is made by the DSSSB on the basis of requisition sent by the Directorate of Education.