The Himachal Pradesh government has made a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree compulsory for becoming a Sanskrit teacher in the state. The Directorate of Elementary Education, after consultation with the Public Service Commission, has notified the recruitment and promotion rules for Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) Sanskrit. Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar issued the notification on Thursday, introducing several significant changes aimed at streamlining the selection and promotion processes.
Under the revised rules, candidates with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Master of Arts (MA) degree in Sanskrit can now qualify as Shastri teachers. Notably, if a candidate does not have 50% marks in their Shastri degree, their eligibility can be determined based on their MA marks. Additionally, a significant relaxation has been provided for those who took admission in B.Ed before July 29, 2011 — the minimum marks requirement in graduation will not apply to such candidates.
The eligibility criteria include Shastri or graduation with Sanskrit as a compulsory subject and a two-year diploma in elementary education. Candidates with a four-year Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.Ed) in elementary education with Sanskrit as a compulsory subject or a four-year Bachelor of Arts Education or Bachelor of Science Education from an institute recognized by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) are also eligible. Importantly, candidates must have passed the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) conducted by the Himachal Pradesh School Education Board to be considered for recruitment.
Direct recruitments for TGT Sanskrit posts will be made through the Public Service Commission or State Selection Commission. For batchwise recruitments, merit will be determined based on seniority in obtaining the degree. The initial appointment will be on a contract basis, with teachers receiving a monthly salary of Rs 21,360. The TGT Sanskrit cadre in government schools currently stands at 4,321 posts, with recruitment open to candidates aged between 18 and 45 years.
The new rules also address promotions, emphasizing service in remote and inaccessible areas. Teachers who have not served in such areas will be transferred to these locations based on seniority. This measure aims to ensure balanced teacher deployment and incentivize service in less developed regions.
A major development in the revised rules is the provision for regularizing teachers appointed through the School Management Committees (SMCs). Currently, 2,408 teachers are working on an SMC basis in Himachal Pradesh schools. To facilitate their regularization, a Limited Direct Recruitment (LDR) quota has been introduced. The recruitment quota for TGT Sanskrit has been adjusted, with 37.5% of posts filled through direct recruitment via the State Selection Commission, 32.5% through batchwise selection, and 0.5% reserved for SMC teachers under the LDR quota. The 25% quota for promotion remains unchanged.
