Photo Courtesy: nenow
Agartala: The Tripura High Court ordered the state government and the Teachers Recruitment Board to fill nearly 9,000 vacant teaching positions. Chief Justice M S Ramachandra Rao and Justice S Datta Purkayastha issued the directive on October 1 during a hearing for public interest litigation WP(C) (PIL) No. 09 of 2026. The bench noted that a failure to hire new staff threatens the quality of state-run education.
Court records show that 9,756 teachers lost their jobs following a Supreme Court-backed ruling. Between 2018 and 2024, another 5,693 teachers retired from Secondary and Elementary education departments. These departures left 15,449 vacancies by the close of the 2023-2024 academic year. While the state hired 6,659 teachers in that window, the backlog remains immense. "It was incumbent on the part of the State Government to show more speed in filling up the posts," the Bench stated.
Current hiring lags behind need. The Teachers Recruitment Board only advertised 700 Graduate Teacher roles in September 2025. Exams occurred in February 2026. Selected candidates expect their appointment letters by late November 2026. No further advertisements appeared in 2026.
The court rejected state arguments that blame parents for moving students to private institutions. They also demanded improvements to school facilities. According to 2025-2026 UDISE data, only 84 percent of schools have electricity. While 4,048 of 4,144 schools provide drinking water, total coverage is missing. Toilet access sits at 90 percent for girls and 92 percent for boys.
Judges impleaded the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council as a respondent. They must address claims regarding single-teacher schools and the reliance on contractual staff. The court ordered the government and the council to file counter affidavits. The matter returns to court on November 16, 2026.
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