Supreme Court seeks Centre, states’ response on plea for national welfare framework for private school teachers

The Supreme Court on Thursday, September 10, issued notice on a public interest litigation seeking a comprehensive national policy and statutory framework for the welfare and post-retirement security of private school teachers across India.A bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta issued notices to the Centre, states, Union Territories, and other authorities, including the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), and posted the matter after four weeks, according to the details of the proceedings reported by LiveLaw.The petition was filed by Ligimol George, National Coordinator of the All-India Teachers Federation, through Advocate on Record Deepak Prakash. The petitioner has sought directions for the Central Government to examine and formulate a comprehensive national policy or statutory framework for private school teachers.Plea says private school teachers lack uniform welfare protectionAccording to the petition, private school teachers perform an essential public function in furtherance of the constitutional mandate under Article 21A, which provides for the right to education.The petitioner has alleged that despite their role in delivering education, private school teachers do not have access to a uniform national welfare framework governing their post-retirement and social security benefits.The plea claims that the existing system is fragmented and depends on state-specific laws, institutional practices and contractual arrangements. According to the petitioner, this has resulted in differences in welfare benefits available to teachers in similar positions.Petitioner seeks national private school teachers welfare boardThe petition has called for the creation of a National Private School Teachers Welfare Board or a similar institutional mechanism to coordinate and monitor welfare measures for private school teachers across the country.The petitioner has also sought a statutory framework covering pension, social security, medical assistance, insurance, welfare funds, family benefits and other measures for teachers after retirement.The plea alleges that the absence of such a coordinated mechanism has created a legislative and policy gap affecting the economic security and quality of life of private school teachers.Plea flags pension, insurance and medical assistance concernsThe petitioner has further alleged that many private school teachers are not provided adequate retirement-related benefits, including pension, medical assistance, insurance protection, family welfare measures and disability support.According to the plea, this leaves a section of private school teachers exposed to financial insecurity after retirement.The petition has argued that existing legal provisions provide only limited or fragmented protection depending on eligibility requirements and applicable state-level rules. A report by Jansatta, citing the petition and Bar & Bench, said the plea also referred to existing laws such as the Employees’ State Insurance framework, Employees’ Provident Fund legislation, the Payment of Gratuity Act and the Social Security Code, 2020.Supreme Court notice brings welfare issue under scrutinyThe Supreme Court has not, at this stage, made any finding on the allegations raised in the petition. The issuance of notice means that the Centre, states, Union Territories and other respondents have been asked to respond to the issues raised by the petitioner.The matter will come up before the bench after four weeks. The responses from the governments and other authorities will be significant in determining how the existing welfare and social security mechanisms for private school teachers operate across different jurisdictions.The PIL has brought the question of post-retirement protection for private school teachers before the Supreme Court, with the petitioner seeking a uniform national mechanism instead of a system that, it alleges, varies across states and institutions.Get the latest Education News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.