Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government is moving towards a merit-based appointment system for teachers serving in its 147 government-run CBSE-affiliated schools. A cabinet sub-committee, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, held detailed deliberations at the State Secretariat on Wednesday and reached a broad consensus that school allocation and appointments should be based on candidates’ performance in the written examination. However, the final decision will be taken by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
The Education Department argued before the sub-committee that selecting teachers strictly on the basis of written examination merit would ensure transparency, fairness and compliance with recruitment norms. Officials also maintained that a merit-based process would reduce the possibility of legal challenges and provide a stronger foundation for future appointments.
The meeting included extensive discussions on the experience and status of teachers currently serving in CBSE schools, along with various aspects of the proposed recruitment process. After deliberations, the sub-committee agreed that school allocation should be made according to candidates’ merit, while also considering their preferred schools and the availability of vacancies.
As the issue concerns the future of a large number of teachers, the cabinet sub-committee decided to leave the final decision to the Chief Minister. A detailed report containing the recommendations and consensus reached during the meeting will now be submitted to the Chief Minister, following which the state government will take a formal decision.
The move is expected to bring clarity to teachers working in government CBSE schools, who have been seeking a clear recruitment and appointment policy for a considerable period. Government sources indicated that the administration is keen to resolve the matter at the earliest while ensuring that the recruitment process remains transparent and legally sound.
The Education Department had earlier conducted a recruitment examination through the board for appointments in CBSE schools. The results have already been declared, and the merit list is ready. Under the proposed mechanism, schools are expected to be allotted to successful candidates based on their rank in the merit list, their preferences and the availability of posts. Before implementing the appointments, however, the government constituted the cabinet sub-committee to review the entire process.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said the meeting held detailed discussions on the functioning and future expansion of CBSE schools in the state. He also noted that, besides the teachers already serving in these schools, the government is recruiting around 3,000 teachers through direct recruitment. The state also plans to affiliate another 200 government schools with the CBSE in the coming years.
Education Minister Rohit Thakur said the report prepared on the basis of Wednesday’s discussions and the consensus reached by the cabinet sub-committee would be submitted to the Chief Minister for a final decision. The government’s decision is expected to determine the appointment process for teachers in the existing CBSE schools and shape the future expansion of the CBSE education system in Himachal Pradesh.
