3,900+ CG School Teacher Vacancies on Hold: High Court Orders Quota Review for Visually Impaired Applicants

In a landmark judicial ruling on equitable access to public employment, the High Court of Chhattisgarh (Bilaspur) has placed the written examination schedule for 3,946 government teaching positions on hold across both E-Cadre (Education) and T-Cadre (Tribal Schedule Areas).

Hearing a writ petition challenging the exclusion of benchmark disabilities from the recruitment advertisement, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Krushna Ram Mohapatra and Justice Santosh Sharma issued formal notices to the State Government and the School Education Department, ordering that the recruitment process cannot proceed until eligible visually impaired candidates are given statutory accommodation.

Judicial Authority: High Court of Chhattisgarh, Bilaspur

Bench: Chief Justice Krushna Ram Mohapatra & Justice Santosh Sharma

Case Subject: Omission of 100% Visually Impaired (पूर्ण दृष्टिबाधित) candidates from teacher recruitment quota

Statutory Reference: Section 34 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016

Vacancies Affected: 2,292 Assistant Teacher Posts (Primary) + 1,654 Teacher Posts (Middle School)

Cadre Bifurcation: T-Cadre (Tribal Scheduled Areas): 1,497 Posts | E-Cadre (General Education): 795 Posts

Exam Codes Impacted: LSAT26 (Assistant Teacher) & Teacher Written Tests

Status: Examinations put on hold pending compliance affidavit from State Government

Primary Desks: High Court Registry, School Education Department & State Reservation Cells

The Legal Grounds: Non-Inclusion of Visually Impaired Aspirants

The petition, argued by legal counsel representing affected visually impaired candidates, challenged the legality of the recruitment advertisement released by the School Education Department:

1. Unequal Disability Quota: While reservation allocations were marked for candidates with locomotor disabilities and other selected categories, 100% visually impaired applicants were entirely omitted* from the reservation roster for teaching positions.
2. Breach of Section 34 (RPwD Act, 2016): Central legislation strictly mandates a 4% horizontal reservation* distributed proportionately across blindness/low vision, deaf/hard of hearing, locomotor disabilities, and autism/multiple disabilities.
3. Standing GAD & Social Welfare Directives*: The General Administration Department (GAD) of Chhattisgarh has previously notified reservation percentages across primary and upper primary cadres that require inclusive representation.
4. Equal Protection Under Law: Counsel contended that denying visually impaired individuals the opportunity to apply violates Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India*, which guarantee equality of opportunity in state-administered appointments.

Vacancy Distribution Across Cadres (पदों का विवरण)

The recruitment drive constitutes one of the largest academic staffing exercises in the state, specifically aimed at addressing chronic rural faculty deficits:

Direct Implications for Kawardha & Kabirdham Candidates

The pause on the recruitment cycle carries significant weight for candidates across Kabirdham district:

• Tribal School Vacancies: Over 65% of Assistant Teacher posts (1,497 vacancies) are allocated to the T-Cadre (Tribal Schedule Areas). In Kabirdham, extensive Vananchal corridors—including Bodla, Taregaon Jungle, Rengakhar, and Pandariya—face critical primary teacher deficits that this examination was scheduled to bridge.
• Large Aspirant Community: Hundreds of D.El.Ed, B.Ed, and CG-TET qualified youth from Kawardha city, Lohara, and rural villages had secured admit cards and completed preparations for the October 11 assessment.
• Advisory on Rescheduled Dates: Candidates have been advised to monitor official announcements from the School Education Department and examination authorities, as revised schedules will be finalized only after the state government files its compliance response before the High Court.

Next Steps in High Court

The High Court has directed the State Government to submit a comprehensive compliance affidavit clarifying whether a supplementary notification will be issued to open application windows for visually impaired candidates and rebalance the reservation roster.

Official Verification & Reporting Desks

• Judicial Source: High Court of Chhattisgarh, Bilaspur (Division Bench Proceedings & Official Court Orders).
• Administrative Desk: Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) & School Education Department, Government of Chhattisgarh.
• Reservation Monitoring: General Administration Department (GAD) Reservation Cell, Mantralaya, Nava Raipur.
• Reporting & Legal Synthesis: Mor Kawardha Education & Legal Affairs Desk.